Not a Day Goes By
by Kaits1789
Summary: When Olivia Benson is brutally attacked, pulls away from her squad and starts to slip into self destructive patterns, can her coworkers pull together to fix the wounds that are tearing the SVU detective apart at the seams? Evantually EO.
1. The Deepest Blues are Black

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

_**Not a Day Goes By**_

SUMMARY: When Olivia Benson is brutally attacked, pulls away from her squad and starts to slip into self-destructive patterns, can her make-shift family pull together to fix the wounds that are tearing the SVU detective apart at the seams?

A/N: First L&O fanfic ever. Kind of scary, I know. And I do hope you like it…because I'd love to have someone like my work…I would feel special. Just so you know how I work, my A/Ns at the beginning of a piece are always written before the chapter is written. The ones at the end (which are usually less rambling and more of a final summation) are written after I conclude the chapter. All chapter titles are song titles, and I don't own those either. Period. End of discussion. Finally, I know what I'm writing about, for the most part, and while some facts may be off, I'll apologize in advance. However, the feelings are real. As real as I can write them, at least, and that's how it is. I love constructive criticism. I enjoy reviews period. And I take flames into consideration…then I usually laugh and ignore them because I don't need the stress in my life. So there we go. Have fun and enjoy. Finally….(yes I know already said finally) this is an overdone concept. I get that. But I think I can put a slightly different spin on it.

_Without further ado..._

**CHAPTER ONE: _The Deepest Blues are Black_**

* * *

As Olivia Benson stumbled into the bull pen of the 1-6th precinct, she had enough wits about herself to flip on the light at her desk and glance at the time on a nearby clock. It was 4:47 in the morning, and there wasn't anyone else around yet. Her shambled attire consisted of black sweat pants, torn in a few places and stained with her own blood, a grey hooded sweatshirt that appeared to be a few sizes too big – possibly belonging to someone else – and a sloppy pony tail that exposed her battered and bruised face to the world. Her hoodie was decorated with the same rips and bloodstains as her pants. To any person anywhere, the brown eyed detective appeared to have been brutally attacked and was about to fall apart at any moment. Still, Benson was strong; surviving had been her main goal, and she had definitely crawled away from a brutal attack alive.

Nothing, however, could change the shame the special victims detective felt as she sat carefully in the chair at her desk, resting her head in her arms on the metal surface. The woman had let herself fall victim to the crime she devoted her own life to preventing. The independent and brave woman had turned into a weak, vulnerable mess who wanted nothing more than to fall off of the face of the planet. The worst part, though, was that the events of the previous night and morning had been entirely her fault. Glancing at the clock again, Olivia realized she had a good hour and a half before anyone showed up to the workplace. And, still amazed at no one questioned her as she limped into the building slowly and moved directly to the elevators, flashing her shield at the security officers in the main lobby, the detective turned on her computer and pulled up paperwork that needed to be finished. Even if she couldn't focus, at least she could pretend that the assault she had suffered through hadn't broken her.

Olivia had only filled in two or three lines of the sheet when people started arriving to the workplace. The bustle began as uniformed officers glanced her direction while they started to make coffee or begin their daily jobs, but the way the bruised woman stared at her desk and didn't respond to her surroundings prevented anyone from approaching her. Until approximately 6:30 in the morning, Olivia remained undisturbed at her desk, every moment trying to push the memories of the previous night and early morning behind her. She shoved away all feelings until Elliot Stabler, her partner of many years, entered the room, beating his captain for one of the few times ever. His first glance at his partner was enough to make his mind race.

Covered in bits of dried blood, cuts, and bruises, his female companion barely looked like herself. It was obvious she hadn't slept and that something had gone seriously wrong. Elliot hoped against all hope that his best friend hadn't been subjected to the worst horror that was possible to inflict on a person; he silently prayed to his god that Olivia Benson had not been raped. Observing her silently until someone who could help him appeared, Stabler attempted to take in the damage. The brown haired detective was slouched over in her chair, playing with a pen between her thumb and knuckles in a feeble attempt to occupy herself. There were so many bruises on her face that Elliot had to take in a deep breath to even look at her. The pain was evident with every move his partner made.

The sound of his captain's voice pulled Elliot from his watchful Reverie. Don entered the bull pen and stopped to look at the two detectives that had arrived before him. Quickly noticing Olivia's state, he stopped. Attempting to piece what he was seeing together and coming up with very little, Cragen spoke first, "What the hell happened?"

Olivia's flinch was the only sign that she had heard his voice. The bald man started to move toward the woman that was like his daughter, but the male detective stuck an arm out to stop him. "Give me a moment," the dark haired man requested. He stepped around the desks and knelt next to the female. He gently placed a hand on her knee, and she jerked away, nearly tipping the rolling chair over. Elliot caught it and made sure it didn't fall. Slowly and gently, he put his hand back on her knee, not letting the injured woman pull away from him this time, "Liv, it's me. It's Elliot."

His partner looked up, then away just as quickly. He saw the pain in her chocolate eyes and his heart broke with the thought of what some bastard did to her. Continuing on, he spoke once more, "How long have you been here, Baby?"

"Don't. Call. Me. Baby," Olivia emphasized each word as she spoke it, even though her voice was soft and raspy.

"I won't call you that," Elliot responded quietly. "Can you just tell me how long you've been here?"

"Since four-fifty."

"Why'd you come here," Elliot questioned, trying his hardest not to set himself get upset with whoever hurt _his _girl.

"Safe."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Olivia didn't look up, nor did she respond to the growing circle of people around her. Casey, her captain, and Detectives Munch and Tutuola had all gathered around the desk, gasping at the sight of their coworker. She didn't answer, so Elliot asked the question one more time. His voice was a bit more confident this time, but was still laced with concern and love, it was a warmth he always used with victims.

"I didn't mean to," said Olivia. "I didn't mean to."

Elliot shook his head, preparing to give up. Olivia wasn't going to talk to him, but Novak could tell by Olivia's body language that she was simply scared of Elliot. Perhaps she was scared of men because one had hurt her, or maybe she was scared of disappointing her partner. Casey didn't need to know, she just had to make an attempt at getting Olivia to open up. She silently waved Elliot away from the female detective and knelt down next to her. The ADA whispered kind words to her friend and identified herself before ever touching the other woman. She gently placed her hands on Olivia's and started pushing for information, "Look, it's you and me. Just us right now. Please tell me what happened."

Looking into Casey's eyes, the other woman slowly opened her mouth to speak. Her words were soft, but the attorney could still make them out, "I let him rape me."

"It's okay. I promise," Novak began speaking to her friend in a caring voice. "Let's go to the hospital. You need to have all of these injuries looked at and a rape kit performed."

Olivia shook her head violently, "Can't. Won't."

"Why not," Elliot chimed in. He hadn't moved far from his previous perch. After all, this was Olivia Benson and he cared about her more than almost anyone in the world. He cringed when she jumped at his voice and realized that someone had really worked a number on her. Casey closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, trying her hardest to remain calm.

"He'll kill me," the Detective stated softly.

Elliot put his hand on her shoulder only to have it jerked away from him. He hung his head in defeat, but spoke anyway, "I won't let him hurt you, Liv. Not if you tell me who it is and let us help you."

Olivia looked at Casey again, who nodded in agreement with Detective Stabler's comments. No one else had made any attempt to speak to the detective and Cragen had already ushered everyone back to their desks, letting Elliot and Casey handle Olivia at the moment. She seemed, however, to have no intention of moving or getting help. Yet, maybe the two were getting through as Olivia started to nod that it was all right. Everyone watched on as Casey assisted the brown haired woman in standing and Elliot draped his coat over her shoulders. It seemed that Benson was slowly coming to trusting the man's touch, and she willingly accepted Casey's assistance as they ushered her from the bull pen. Elliot glanced at his supervisor, receiving a nod from the captain in support, and the three left through the doors of the room and got on the elevator.

"What the hell?" Munch questioned willingly.

Cragen shook his head, attempting to clear his head from the sight he'd just witnessed. Munch looked at his supervisor one more time. He was talking again, "I said…'What the hell?'"

"Don't ask me," Don responded exasperatedly. "Just don't, because I don't know any more than you do right now. Just…everyone work on paperwork until you get further orders, we don't have any new cases yet."

With that, Cragen retreated into his own office. He made a quick call to Elliot requesting to be informed of anything new in one of his best detective's condition and sat in his chair, resting his head in his hands, wishing he could make a difference.

* * *

In Mercy General Hospital's Emergency Room, Elliot stood outside of the door to an exam room when Olivia requested to have Casey present during the rape kit examination. Olivia waited patiently as a nurse helped her to disrobe and then placed her clothing in a plastic bag to be kept for evidence. A naked Olivia completely ignored the presence of the rape crisis counselor in the corner of the room. The blonde ADA helped Olivia put on a hospital issued gown – paper thin and doing nothing for the cool climate of the room they were in. She watched as her good friend shook from both fear and being cold. A doctor entered the room and introduced himself, but Olivia pulled away at the sound of a male's voice. Casey held Olivia's hand and glanced at the doctor, "If you don't mind, I think we would prefer a female physician." 

The ADA's voice was completely professional and the doctor seemed to understand as he left the room to get a different doctor. Casey hadn't seen Olivia cry, but was certain a waterfall of tears wasn't far from the surface. The woman had been nothing but strong since her squad had stumbled upon her this morning. She spoke very little and shied away from a man's touch and voice, but aside from that, Olivia had not let on any sign of real weakness. Casey simply stayed with her friend and hoped that this would all be over with soon.

The door to the exam room opened and Casey saw Elliot waiting impatiently outside. She offered a small smile that the man responded to with a nod and she listened as a new physician introduced herself. She was one Dr. Lane Rickers and was your average super model looking woman with dark brown hair. Casey smiled at the doctor and thanked her for coming in, she then listened with Olivia as the woman explained the procedure.

Within a few seconds, Olivia spoke up, "Look, I'm a special victims detective, and I _know _the procedure for a rape kit. If you don't mind, I'd just like to get this goddamn humiliation over with and move on with my life. Thank you very much."

Despite the fact that Casey had been shocked by Olivia's outburst, she just gently rubbed the palm of her friend's hand with her thumb as if to say that there was someone there for support. The doctor moved quickly, still explaining each step of the kit as she continued. It started with having the victim – Olivia Benson – answer numerous questions about the attack. The doctor prodded for information with a gentle voice and Casey sat there the entire time, silently offering the moral support that Olivia needed.

"Ms. Benson, I need you to answer yes or no to the following questions, alright?"

Olivia nodded.

"Were you forced to perform oral intercourse?"

"Yes," The detective whispered dejectedly.

There was a scratch of a pen as the doctor marked a box on the paper. She continued, "Were you forced to perform anal intercourse?"

"No."

Casey let out a sigh as the doctor moved on, "Were you forced to have vaginal intercourse?"

"Yes," she choked. Casey wanted to cry, but prevented herself from doing so.

"Did you know the assailant?"

Olivia bit her bottom lip, "I met him at a bar last night. I just wanted to have a good time, meet a man, and ignore my miserable social life for a day. I only know his first name. He invited me over to his place for a chance to get to know him better. I shouldn't have gone alone. I shouldn't have gone at all." The woman was fighting back tears and doing a rather good job at it. She finished her statement, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Casey whispered as the doctor marked the appropriate box on the form. Casey was getting annoyed with the woman's non-chalante attitude, even though she was certain the physician didn't mean it in the way it was being perceived.

Olivia shrugged. They finished the questions. There were questions about whether or not she had showered prior to the exam or cleaned up in any way. She asked if Olivia had anything to drink in case there would be evidence from the oral sex. The brown haired woman snapped numerous times at the doctor, not wanting to answer such _stupid _questions.

"I already told you," Olivia yelled. "I'm an SVU detective, I _know _better than to destroy evidence for a rape kit."

Casey tried to soothe her friends nerves, "Olivia, just calm down. You said you didn't want an exam, and the doctor has to do her job. You'll be okay, just answer her questions and calm down."

Olivia did.

Once the questionnaire was filled out in full, the doctor began taking swabs for physical evidence. She took pictures of all of Olivia's bruises and cuts – not a part of the woman's body was void of at least one bruise. The doctor cleaned up the cuts and applied antibiotic creams to prevent infection. She also bandaged the more serious wounds. Casey watched as her friend jerked away and flinched from pain with each unfamiliar touch.

They sat quietly and Casey backed away as they took x-rays revealing a broken left wrist and three broken ribs. She let Olivia yell at her when the woman couldn't take anymore and maintained physical contact as the nurse drew blood for an STD panel.

The final step of the examination was having emergency contraception administered if the patient chose to do so. Olivia looked at Casey, tears filling her brown eyes, and silently begged for help on the decision. On one hand, the injured woman was aware that she wouldn't be on the planet if her mother had taken emergency contraception or gotten an abortion after her own rape. On the other hand, Olivia didn't want to put her own child through what she had been through as a child, and the detective was scared she couldn't handle it herself.

"It has to be your choice," Casey told her. "But everyone will support you no matter what you choose."

Reluctantly, Olivia took the pill and saved the other to be administered twelve hours later – 8:35 in the evening. She looked to Casey, who nodded and assured her that she had done what was right for herself. The doctor signed off on the paperwork, sealed the rape kit, and went to give it to the necessary people in order for Stabler to take it back to the precinct once Olivia was up and out. The hospital issued a pair of scrubs and some undergarments that Casey slowly assisted Olivia in putting on her body. Her torso was tender from the broken ribs and she was in constant pain. The wrist was placed in a cast and Olivia slowly stood up for Casey to help her walk away from the room.

They opened the door and Olivia saw Elliot waiting for them. She offered a brave smile in his direction. He nodded back and gently ran a hand over her pulled back hair. She didn't pull away from him as she had before, but simply fell into his chest. Elliot hugged her from one side and Casey from the back as heart breaking sobs wracked the once strong woman's tiny frame. They stood together in the same position, supporting their friend, for nearly twenty or thirty minutes until Olivia had calmed herself enough that she was only hiccupping from time to time. They received a few odd looks, but the tall man had cut them off with glares almost immediately. No one would hurt Liv on his watch ever again.

"Liv, should we take you home?"

She responded to Elliot's voice in a whisper, "No. I want to go to the precinct. I'm safer there."

Casey shrugged as Elliot nodded. "All right," He answered her. "To the precinct it is. Come with me, I'll keep you safe."

With one escort on each side, Olivia slowly made her way out of the hospital's emergency room, refusing any other help or a ride in a wheelchair.

* * *

A/N: Okay. So there's chapter one. And its pretty bad…so you'll just have to let me know what you think and what to revise. I wrote this while I'm home from school sick…kind of proofread it right now because I can't sleep, and put it up. I'm rating it "T" because of language and, in later chapters, the rape will be described to a greater extent. I'll give fair warning though. I've never read one where Casey is a big part of the healing process for Liv, and I want to explore that…because my best female friend AND my best male friend were such a big part of it for me…and I see a lot of Olivia in me sometimes.

So please review! I'd love you for it! Hopefully I'll update this weekend.


	2. Here We Go

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: Home sick. Second day in a row, too. Major bummer. That's okay though, because it gave me time to work on this! Thanks for the reviews last chapter, by the way. Reviews are what keep me writing/planning a story. So yeah.

_Without further ado…_

**CHAPTER TWO: Here We Go  
**

* * *

The ride back to the precinct was mostly quiet. Elliot drove the car and Casey sat in the backseat with Olivia, who rested her head on the blonde's shoulders in an attempt to sit comfortably. Olivia hadn't said a word since leaving the ER, and neither person in the car wanted to push her to say anything. Casey hadn't asked for the name of the man who raped Olivia yet, and Elliot had no idea that his partner had met her attacker and gone home with him that night.

The car stopped and the man driving turned it off before opening his door and stepping outside of the vehicle. Casey unbuckled her own seatbelt before jarring the other woman to help her slide out of the car. They moved gingerly with few words. Olivia cringed and wrapped her arms around her ribcage as she stepped out of the car – the pain she felt from simply moving was unbearable. Elliot got on one side of her, Casey stayed on the other and the two helped Olivia walk slowly into the building. They approached the elevator and waited silently for the doors to open. Two people got off of the elevator and gave Olivia odd looks, but continued on their way. The three people got inside and pressed the button to take them to their floor.

Once the elevator came to a halt, Elliot and Casey supported Olivia as they walked into the bull pen. Casey was the first to speak, "Do you want to stay down here, or should we go to the crib and get some rest?"

Olivia didn't speak for a moment as Elliot moved from his post and she rested her hips against her desk, trying not to lose her balance or fall over from pain. She hadn't slept in well over twenty-four hours, but she didn't want to be alone. Slowly, she positioned herself to sit in her chair as the only answer she offered. Casey nodded to Elliot who took the rape kit into Cragen's office.

Fin wasn't in the room, but John was, and he slowly approached Olivia. The man cautiously spoke to the injured woman, "Hey, Olivia, you doing all right?"

Even though the woman pulled away from his voice, she managed to smile up at John and reply softly, "I'm okay. No big deal, sprained wrist, couple of broken ribs. I got into a bar fight last night and neglected to get medical attention then."

Knowing that the woman was lying didn't make him question her answer. She would tell him when and if she was ever ready. He didn't step away, but didn't make any other offer to comfort her either. Casey had pulled up a chair next to Olivia's and sat there silently, fighting back whatever emotions and thoughts were coursing through her at that moment. John knew Casey, and he could tell that she was being as strong for her friend as she could be. Yet, the ADA would break down eventually – they all would. Sex crimes might have been something they all saw on a daily basis, but it was different when the crime happened to one of their own. At that point, it got personal.

"Do you ladies want some coffee," John offered. He couldn't think of anything else to do, and standing in the middle of the squad room doing nothing felt awkward.

"Thanks, that would be great," Casey responded coolly; her voice was unwavering. Olivia nodded slowly and John, grateful for something to do, quickly went to get two cups. He poured in the black liquid and grabbed a few packets of cream and sugar, uncertain as to how the women would want the beverage served to them. Walking back slowly, balancing the items in his two hands, he set them in front of the women. As he brushed against Olivia, she quickly pulled away from him. He took no offense.

Don poked his head out of the office and looked around for his other detectives. "Munch," He questioned. "Where did Fin go?"

"He said something about needing food, that's all I know."

"Fine," Don rolled his eyes. "Just get your butt in here. _Now." _

The emphasis on the final word made John nod his head to the two women and move briskly into his captain's office. He shut the door behind him and glanced at Elliot, who appeared to have aged five years since 6:45 that morning. Munch looked between his captain and his coworker, trying to understand what was going on.

"Acquaintance rape," Elliot muttered.

John looked at the man and processed his two words. Olivia had known the attacker. Suddenly anger boiled up inside of him and the slender man desperately tried to understand the situation at hand. He wanted to kill someone. The desire to find the man who hurt the woman he'd grown to love over the years and give him the exact same treatment that had been shown to Olivia the night before was so strong that he had to fight to overcome it. He pursed his lips and didn't say a word when there was a knock on the door and Fin stepped in the room.

"Glad to see you care enough to come back," the Captain muttered.

"Cap," Fin retaliated. "I had to walk away for a second, and I'm sure you understand that. What matters is that I'm here now. What did I miss?"

"Acquaintance rape," the bald man replied forcefully. "The issue is, Olivia isn't exactly talking to anyone about what happened except Casey. I can't see her letting anyone else in yet. Elliot, I want you and Casey to take her aside, into an interrogation room, and get her to talk. She needs to tell you everything she remembers. If she's not ready, don't push her, but do your best. I'll call Huang to have him outside, just in case we can't handle it. She's a victim; don't let that get in your way Elliot. Don't let who it is ruin your ability to handle this case. Remember that."

Elliot nodded, but didn't yet move. Cragen continued, "Munch, Fin, get the rape kit to Warner. Have her run the DNA and see if this guy has a record. Maybe he'll make life easy on us and we can just arrest him and be done with it."

The two men turned to walk out of the small room, but Munch stopped and turned back around. His eyes were focused on the floor and he asked the dreaded question, "How badly is she hurt?"

Elliot sighed, "My understanding, from what Casey said, is a broken wrist, three broken ribs, and a lot of painful bruising. It looks like she fought like Hell, but we won't know until we get her to open up. Mentally, though, I think we have a long way to go before she starts to trust again. Whatever that ass did to her, he really worked a number."

Munch nodded as Fin hung his head in shame. Don stonewalled his expression and glanced at the three detectives. Giving them a few moments to process the information they had been provided, he broke the silence, "What are you waiting for? We have a rape victim out there and a rapist to get our hands on! Move already!"

The three men stood up and walked quickly out of the office. Munch and Fin moved out of the room, past Olivia and Casey, and out the door. Olivia didn't take notice to their movements. Elliot walked out a few seconds after and moved slowly over to the desk that the two women were sitting at. He placed a comforting hand on Casey's shoulder, knowing that she was struggling, and looked at Olivia with concern in his eyes. He hated to be the person that forced her to relive the entire experience out loud, but he had little choice in the matter. Cragen was calling Huang so there would be a trained psychiatrist on hand to help if they needed it.

Elliot quietly spoke to the two women, "Ladies, let's go talk, okay? Liv, we need you to tell us what happened."

Olivia didn't move from her desk. Casey gently touched the woman's shoulder and tried to silently beckon her to go with them. The detective made no sign that she cared to move. Elliot sighed and spoke once more, "Please come with us, I promise you don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I at least need to know what this guy looked like. I want to catch him so you're safe."

Slowly, and with Elliot's help, the brown haired woman rose from her chair. Casey walked behind the two of them and entered the room after. Olivia sat down and Elliot sat across from her. Casey pulled the third chair and sat next to her friend, trying to make the situation somewhat comfortable. Olivia stared at her hands and the table, not looking at anyone else or making any noises. It took a few minutes before anyone was willing to speak.

"Can you tell me what happened last night?"

Olivia didn't respond to Elliot's voice. Casey shook her head, unwilling to make her voice heard. She was only present for moral support, and no matter what happened, she refused to take part in making her friend go through this. Elliot sighed and spoke again, "Do you know who did this to you?"

Again the female detective didn't speak. She gave a slight shrug as her right hand started picking at the cast on her left. Casey put a hand on Olivia's shoulder lightly, hoping to offer comfort without causing anymore pain. She leaned her face in close to the other woman's and whispered to her, "You're not ready for this, are you?"

Olivia shook her head, indicating that she was not prepared to answer questions yet.

"Should we do this later?"

"Casey," Elliot pushed. "We can't do this later. There's a rapist out there who could do this to someone else tonight. I need, at the very least, a description and a name! She said she knew the guy."

Olivia stood up and hobbled out of the room. Casey sighed softly before standing and looking at Elliot, letting her anger rule her words and shouting at the man who just wanted to help, "She's hurt. She's scared. And she had a drink or two, met a guy, and let him take her home to his place to get to know each other. When she realized what he wanted, she said no. She fought like hell to get away from him, and he wouldn't let her. She was overpowered and lost all control. You know as well as I do that Olivia Benson doesn't like to lose control. Give her some time. She hasn't slept in over a day. You pushing her and making this seem like it's her fault for having gone home with the guy isn't going to help any."

Elliot was shocked at Casey's outburst; the collected ADA doesn't get that upset very often. Trying to make it right, the man stood up as he started to explain himself, "I just want to help her. I want her to be safe."

"I do too. But safe right now is being given a few moments to collect herself before you begin a verbal assault. We're done. She's coming to my place and we'll be back this afternoon. I'll call you if she tells me anything, but just give her time. She cares about you. She's scared to let you down. She's scared to be the victim. Let it go."

Elliot nodded sadly at Novak's words and watched her leave the room. He fell back into his chair rather haphazardly and placed his head in his hands, willing himself not to cry.

Casey found Olivia sitting on the floor outside of the room. Huang, the psychiatrist for the FBI, was trying to console her and talk to her, but her face was blank. Casey shook her head as George backed up. She mouthed a silent thank you before kneeling in front of her friend. "How about we go to my place? I have some sweats you can wear and maybe we can rest. I told Elliot we'd come back later his afternoon and you two could potentially talk then."

The brown eyed woman nodded slowly, and Casey saw her eyes flood with relief. Cautiously helping the woman to stand, they left the precinct, hailed a cab, and were on their way to Casey's apartment. Maybe, with a few hours of rest, Olivia could help them find the guy who ruined her life.

* * *

A/N: Okay…not a lot happened…but that's okay. I realize it's shorter than the first chapter, I think that this is about how long an average chapter will be though. Okay? Ok. Please review and tell me what you like and what you don't like…I'll try to improve based on that!

Yay! I may update tonight, depending on how I feel for the rest of the day.


	3. Come Lay Down

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: It's been a few days…and I do apologize. However, I'm writing now…on Sunday night, instead of finishing my homework because it's been a very long day and I don't know how exactly I should handle it. So here I am. Thank you so much for all of the reviews…and I hope you enjoy:

_Without further ado…_

**CHAPTER 3: Come Lay Down  
**

* * *

The cab ride to Casey's apartment was uneventful. The ADA had gotten Olivia to sit in the back seat and had gotten in after, giving the driver her address, and buckling up. It wasn't a long ride, by any means, and Olivia didn't say a single word. The detective had spent the time staring at her hands and avoiding all contact with other people. The cab stopped, Casey paid the fare, and Olivia got out of the car and followed the blonde up to her apartment. 

Casey opened the door and stepped inside with Olivia on her tail. Casey sighed softly and flipped on the lights, leading the detective to the bedroom. "I'll take the couch," Casey stated. "You can have my bed. I'll find you sweats to wear for tonight, unless you really want to go to your apartment and get clothes…"

"Thanks," Olivia stated quietly. "I really appreciate this. You take your own bed; I'll be fine on the couch."

Casey shook her head at the brown haired woman's offer. She walked out of the bedroom, leaving the light on, and opened the door to the bathroom. The tour continued until Olivia had seen the entire apartment, was aware of all of the essentials were, and Casey was comfortable that her friend would feel safe. The ADA had seen Olivia checking each window for proper locks and tried not to take offense, remembering that the woman was fearing for her own safety.

Once the tour was complete, Casey turned on the TV and sat at the far end of the couch. Olivia followed, still in pain, but managing to ease herself into the cushions and rest her head against the back of the furniture.

"Thank you."

Casey smiled at the show of gratitude and answered her simply, "You're welcome."

The two sat in a pleasant silence for a while before Olivia broke the silence that had enveloped them. The detective spoke in a voice that wasn't anything like her own, but that of a meek and frightened child, "I know Elliot blames me."

"No," Casey answered quickly. "No one blames you. It's never the victims fault."

"Damn it! I never wanted to be a victim."

"So pull past it," the blonde woman suggested. "Don't be a victim, be a survivor."

Olivia silently weighed the differences between the roles of victim and survivor. She had thought about it on her own many times as she saw different people deal with the aftermath of a sex crime in their own life. The victims always let the attack control their every move while survivors would move on with their lives – they were changed people, and cautious, but they kept living and controlled the outcome of the attack instead. Survivors grew and became stronger while victims were only torn down.

After several moments of silence, Casey spoke once more, "Do you remember anything about him?"

"Kevin," Olivia whispered. "That was his name. I met him at Element when I was out last night. I was just trying to have a good night, trying to forget about Jessica Clemmons."

Casey nodded her head when she heard the name. Olivia had been trying to save the girl from her rapist when he shot her before the detective had a chance to do anything. The ADA was well aware of the fact that the brown eyed woman would have taken a bullet to save the seventeen-year-old honor student. Yet, it hadn't worked out. When the perpetrator had turned his weapon on Olivia, she'd attempted to bargain with him – tried to save herself and him in order to get the justice that was deserved. Elliot, however, had entered at the sound of the first shot and got him from behind. While Olivia was thankful for her life, she had confided in Casey that it would have made her day to see the guy rot in jail.

She waited for her friend to continue.

Eventually, Olivia spoke again, "I was dancing with him. He bought me a drink. He seemed so kind. I know I shouldn't have gone their alone. I should have never left with a man I didn't know. But, you have to understand, all I wanted was one night to pretend that I didn't see what I do see every day."

Casey closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find the words that she so desperately needed to say to her friend. They came to her slowly, and she said them as smoothly as she could manage, "Maybe you shouldn't have gone alone, but that doesn't make this your fault. That doesn't mean he had the right to force you to have sex. Please, tell me what he looked like."

"Dark hair, almost black, and he had the most gorgeous green eyes I'd ever seen. He was a little taller than Elliot, maybe, and muscular."

Watching as Olivia slowly broke down into tears scared Casey. Just the memory of the man who ruined her life caused Olivia to reduce herself to a crying heap of muscles, bones, and skin. Casey moved closer to her friend and gently rubbed circles on her back as she cried. The ADA whispered words of comfort and safety to the detective and waited until the tears subsided and her breathing evened out. Finally, Olivia was asleep, and Casey laid her out on the couch before walking into the next room to call Elliot.

_"Stabler, Special victims."_

"It's Casey," The ADA stated quietly.

_"Anything new?"_

Casey heard the fear and concern in the detective's voice and silently thanked whatever gods there may be for a man who cared so much about his partner. She then gathered her own thoughts once again and told him of what Olivia had said, "All I know is that his name is Kevin and she met him at Element last night. He bought her a drink, offered to take her to his place, and that's all she could tell me right now."

_"What do you mean __**that's all she could tell**__ you?"_

"I have a physical description, but aside from that she was scared, Elliot. I got a physical description."

She heard a sigh from the other line, then his voice, _"Give it to me."_

"It's minimal," She stated for his good. "But this is what she told me. Dark hair – almost black – with green eyes, the guy is a bit taller than you and muscular."

_"Nothing else?" _

Casey sighed at the man's agitation, "No. Nothing else, I'm sorry. Talking about it was enough to make her cry. I don't know if you've ever seen her break, but this was too much for her at the moment. We just have to rebuild her trust right now, I'll call you when she wakes up."

_"Wait," _Elliot started. _"She's sleeping."_

"Cried herself to the point of exhaustion, yes."

_"If you keep her safe and bring her in to talk to me about it in detail this afternoon, we're good. Meanwhile, go sit with Liv. If she wakes up screaming, someone better be there to save her."_

Smiling at Elliot's attentiveness, Casey agreed. He told her to meet them around three in the afternoon, leaving nearly five hours for everyone to gather their own wits. She hung up her cell phone and went to sit in her chair next to the couch. The two pieces of furniture matched perfectly – both an awkward beige color that went well with her cream walls. Olivia tossed and turned a bit, but nothing too serious. Casey had picked up a book to read and had gotten about thirty pages into her novel when whimpers started coming from the couch.

It took almost no time at all before Olivia was screaming at the top of her lungs and sitting up straight. Jumping into action, Casey was kneeling at the woman's side tell her that everything was okay. She reminded Olivia of her location and that she was completely safe. The detective started to calm down. Casey got a glass of water and the pain medication that had been prescribed and filled at the hospital before they'd left due to the broken ribs. Olivia swallowed the pill with ease.

The clock on Casey's wall read one o'clock. Two hours until they had to be at the precinct and neither woman had eaten lunch. Casey quietly pushed a strand of Olivia's hair away from her eyes and stayed next to her as she debated what to do about food. "I have stuff for sandwiches," She said. "Do you want one?"

Olivia shrugged, "Not very hungry."

"You have to eat sometime."

"I'll be fine," the stubborn woman countered.

"No, you won't. Turkey or chicken?"

"Neither," Olivia responded.

"What do you want, then? You have to eat and I promised Elliot we'd be back at the precinct at three. He needs your official statement as to what happened."

The fear that flashed across Olivia's brown eyes was enough to make Casey regret mentioning it. Yet, as quickly as the emotion's evidence appeared, it was gone and Olivia was back to staring at the wall in front of her. She sighed quietly, "Turkey and cheese – nothing else, though, I'm really not hungry."

Casey smiled politely as the other woman made herself more comfortable on the couch. She made up two sandwiches, put them on paper plates, and went back to the living room. Handing one plate to Olivia, she took a seat in the chair she'd been occupying prior to her friend's nightmare. She watched like a worried mother as her friend picked at her food and nibbled at the corners of the bread.

Eventually, Olivia placed the plate on the coffee table. She had only eaten about a fourth of the sandwich, but Casey didn't push her. She finished her own in silence and took the two plates to the kitchen to throw them away. Olivia didn't move from her perch on the couch and Casey walked back over. She glanced at the clock and quickly called a cab. It was about two-fifteen, and she refused to let her friend be late for this.

Gently, she jarred Olivia from her silent stupor, "The cab will be here any minute; you should get up and put your shoes on."

Slowly the injured woman rose from her spot on the couch and slipped on the same pair of flip flops she'd worn to Casey's house. The blonde helped the other woman out the door and down the stairs to the street. Their cab had already arrived and slowly the two got inside. Casey looked at the driver and gave the instructions, "The 1-6th Precinct, please."

She watched as Olivia closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. For some reason, the ADA felt immense guilt about making her friend relieve a nightmare that no person should ever go through. At the same time, Casey was more than willing to help Olivia through it. After all, with the detective's statement, hopefully she could make sure the guy would rot in jail.

* * *

A/N: Okay. Crappy chapter. I know. Not much happened. Criticism and comments are much appreciated. Please? Thanks. REVIEW…because then I'll want to write. I decided that I might be able to update about once a week for a month – then school is out and hopefully I'll update more often at that point. I have a sketchy timeline for this fic…we'll see if any of it changes though. 

Thanks!!!


	4. Promise

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: I won't lie….it took me way too long to update and I am SINCERELY sorry. In the last two weeks I have had so much going on. May 3, 4, & 5, I performed William Shakespeare's _The Comedy of Errors_ at my high school. I was a maid. It was fun and all, but that whole week was late nights and a ton of being too tired to think and function. The week after it was so busy around my house that I wanted to cry. With my mom's birthday, the end of school approaching, and Prom on May 12…I just about lost my mind. But here I am…and I'll hopefully be more consistent in updates from this point forward. Thank you for ALL of the reviews…and for sticking with me! It's so helpful when people comment.

A/N2: The title of this chapter is from the song _Promise _by Eve6 because at the end Elliot says something that made me think of the song when I wrote this. I don't' really like the song, though…so yeah.

WARNING: This chapter is where Olivia makes her statement. Details about the rape will be revealed and alluded to many times from this point on. If you can't stomach it, don't read it, but it may be a bit graphic.

_Without further ado…_

**CHAPTER 4: Promise  
**

* * *

The cab ride to the precinct was a quiet one. Casey told the man where to drive to and Olivia was gently resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Her eyes were shut the entire time, and Casey didn't try to wake her. If the detective could get a little rest now, maybe taking her statement would be an easier task. As the cab came to a halt outside of the 1-6th precinct, Casey slowly jarred her friend from her slumber, paid the taxicab driver, and the two walked into the precinct side by side. Casey and Olivia flashed identification to avoid any trouble and went straight to the elevator.

Once outside of the squad room, Casey held the door for Olivia who took a deep breath before stepping into the room. Seeing her coworkers at their desks filling out paperwork told her that the only case that had come in recently was hers, and thanks to her lack of cooperation, they could do nothing more until they were given more information. Elliot opened the door to Cragen's office and saw his partner standing by his desk. He walked over slowly and was hesitant before speaking. Eventually, the silence was broken, "Olivia."

"Elliot," she whispered. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Of course."

Elliot led her to an interrogation room, Cragen stepped out of his office and followed close behind. As Stabler held the door for Olivia, Casey made to follow, but the captain swiftly placed his arm on her shoulder and held her in place. "Let Elliot handle this," the man stated politely. "He needs to get through to her and you might sway her story."

"With all due respect," Casey replied quickly, "what Olivia needs is a friend to comfort her. Elliot has already proven that task to be a difficult one for him."

"He's concerned."

Casey rolled her eyes, "He's being a cop – not a friend."

"Ms. Novak, I will give you two choices. The first is to stand out here and act as though you are a professional as I ask you to listen in as he takes her statement. If you don't agree to that, your second object is to get the hell out of here. I need a direct statement, and Elliot will get that from her."

Hanging her head in defeat, Casey leaned her body against the nearest filing cabinet and watched on as Cragen turned on the speaker and rapped a few times on the window to let the detectives inside know that he was ready for them to continue. Whatever small talk had been taking place was ended and Elliot quickly changed subjects, set the tape player to record, and took in a deep breath before looking back at Olivia. Speaking in a soft voice, he prompted her first words, "What's your name?"

"Olivia Benson."

"Olivia," his voice was caring and soft as he spoke, "can you tell me what happened to you?"

The female detective hung her head as she began telling her tale. She spoke of going to the club and meeting a guy. She told Elliot how he'd bought her a drink and they'd danced for a couple of hours.

"What was his name?"

"Kevin."

Elliot nodded slowly, "Do you know his last name?"

"I don't remember," she whispered. Her voice was barely above a whisper and Elliot struggled to catch it all.

"Where was his house?"

Olivia hung her head in shame, "I wasn't paying attention."

Casey let out a breath and took in another deep one as she watched her friend's body tense up. There was nothing she could do, and while she didn't believe that Olivia didn't know the man's last name or that she wasn't paying enough attention to catch at least the street he lived on, she noticed that Elliot wasn't pushing the subject, but simply moving on.

Scratching a note on the paper in front of him, he continued smoothly, "I need you to tell me everything that he did to you after you got to his home."

"He led me into his house. I was still in my dress, but he offered me his sister's sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt to wear. He asked if I was going to spend the night, I said that I didn't know – but he was my ride here, so I figured I would. He smiled. He handed me clothes and directed me to the restroom so I could change. The pants fit well and the sweatshirt was too big, but that didn't bug me much. I stepped out of the bathroom and he told me I looked beautiful. He kissed my neck, handed me a glass of wine, and we sat in his living room."

"Was this an apartment?"

"Yes."

Elliot nodded again, "Continue."

Casey took in a breath with Olivia as the woman started speaking again, "We were watching _Independence Day _and kissing. I had only had two drinks and felt safe. He was playful, flirtatious. It was just fun. I told him to go slow. He promised he would." A single tear fell down the female detective's cheek and she quickly wiped it away. Elliot handed her a tissue, but she didn't accept. He waited and she continued, "He told me he really liked me. It was just kissing, nothing else."

"Something else had to happen," the man prompted.

"About halfway through the movie, the man said that he was glad I went to his house. He started to touch me."

"Touch you where?"

"All over," Olivia stated meekly. "He rubbed my breasts started taking off my shirt. I pushed him away. I said I wasn't comfortable. He just kept going. He kept kissing me, but I refused to kiss back. I didn't know how to fight back. He was tall, strong, like you, El."

The two sat in silence for a moment. Cragen and Casey watched as Elliot realized that Olivia had just compared her rapist to him. The man sat straighter and waited for the woman across from him to continue talking.

Eventually, Olivia let herself continue with her story. "He kissed me down my chest, told me how Olivia was a beautiful name. I pushed him away, but he shoved me back down and put all of his weight on his elbows, which were digging into my ribs as he laid on top of me. He told me not to anger him and that I had led him on. I deserved what was happening, and he knew I liked it. But I didn't, I swear, I didn't like it at all."

"I know you didn't, Olivia."

Cragen closed his eyes and tried to clear his head as he watched the female detective start to break. Her voice wavered more with each and every word. Benson wasn't one to break down. She didn't like to be exposed in that manner, but more than once in that day, the woman had let her walls drop and showed a vulnerable side of herself that she never wanted anyone to see.

He opened his eyes as Olivia carried on, "He threw me off of his couch and my wrist collided with his coffee table. I knew it hurt, but I was okay with that. I kept kicking and hitting, trying desperately to get him off of me, but he kept forcing himself over my body. He tore at the clothes he'd given me to wear, left cuts and bruises all over me from broken class that he used to force me back down. He'd broken a bowl in his apartment. I'd screamed once, but he told me to shut up or he'd kill me. I just wanted to survive in that moment, so I didn't say another word. Everything hurt, but I kept clawing, and clawing." Her voice filled with distress as she relived the details of her previous night. She continued with a shaky tone, "Eventually I was too tired to keep trying. I just let myself be still on the floor, I whispered 'no' a few more times, and kept crying, but I eventually accepted my fate. I…I…" The woman stuttered as she attempted to regain her composure. Elliot watched as the woman he loved began to break. She stopped speaking and hung her head once more.

Unsure of what to say, Stabler spoke softly in a comforting voice, "I know it's difficult right now, but you know as well as I do that we can't do anything until this is done. The healing process starts once you've talked about this. Casey and Cragen, they're right outside and I'm right here. If you finish this story, he won't hurt you. He can't. I promise."

"I laid still as he pulled off my pants," Olivia stated. The woman had found comfort and strength in her partner's words. She finished with as much detail as possible, "He caressed my genitals. I desperately wanted him to stop, but he kept going. He pushed one finger into my vagina, then another, and another until it was his entire fist beating in and out. He told me I was beautiful, that he wouldn't be able to touch me if he didn't care about me. He made me tell him over and over again that it was my fault for leading him on. In a way, I guess it was.

"After that, he took off his own clothing. As he lay on top of me, he told me to kiss him. I refused at first, but he hit me again, and I quickly placed my lips to his. It was awful. He stayed like that for a while before he told me to get on my knees. I moved as quickly as I could, but everything hurt so horribly. He told me he was offended at my lack of effort. He stood and told me to suck it. I did as I was told. He ran his hands through my hair over and over. He said he was going to come; he wanted me to swallow it. I did as I was told."

Elliot let out a loud sigh as Olivia slumped lower in her chair. Both Cragen and Casey watched on as the two interacted without words or even looks. John approached the area where the two were watching in horror. Novak cried silent tears and Don braced himself against the wall. Not wanting to intrude on a moment, Munch stayed in the background, but listened to the end of the interview nonetheless.

Quietly, Olivia continued, "He kissed me again, and helped me to lie back down. He told me he was sorry if what he was doing hurt, but he had to get what he deserved. It was my fault for not being a willing participant. He then kissed me again and touched my genitals once more." The female took a moment to breathe before continuing her story, "He grabbed a condom and a lubricant from the end table and quickly rolled it over his penis and prepared himself to make his final move. I was crying and scared, I wanted it to all be over, the nightmare had lasted far too long. Finally, I felt him enter me. I said 'No' once more and tried to push again, but the beating I received caused me to fall back and give into his commands. He kept moaning, whispering how perfect we fit together. He thrust harder until he was done. At the end he gathered me into his arms and kissed my forehead, thanking me for the best night of his life.

"He told me I could get dressed and leave whenever I was ready. He warned me if I told anyone that this was anything but rough consensual sex that I would regret it. I just wanted to get out of there, but thinking like a cop I knew not to disturb any evidence, so I put on the same underwear and clothing, grabbed my purse and phone, and ran from his apartment. He was passed out on the couch. I left my dress there."

On the other side of the window, the onlookers felt as though they were all invading a very private moment, but none could bring themselves to walk away. This was their job. Noticing the woman standing in front of him losing her balance, John placed a reassuring hand on the small of Novak's back and she willingly leaned into the comfort that was there. The woman hadn't been able to maintain silent tears; the emotional turmoil of the ADA had turned into sobs. Don's knuckles were turning white as he grasped the window's ledge and the detective was simply in shock. The three people who were listening to their friend and coworker talk of the first night of her life

In the small room, Elliot was asking Olivia to tell him how she got to the precinct.

"I got out of the apartment and limped about a block and a half away. Everything hurt, so I stopped, got out my phone, and considered calling you. But I knew it was your night with the kids, and I didn't want you to worry about me, so I called a cab. The driver brought me here – he said it was no charge."

Elliot mentally kicked himself and felt incredibly guilty. Olivia didn't think she could call him because he was with his children. He'd made himself unavailable and his partner had to suffer alone. He asked for a physical description. Olivia described the man as having green eyes, dark hair, being about two or three inches taller than Elliot and slender with a muscular build. The detective asked once more if she remembered a last name or an address. The best she could to was tell him she remembered seeing a sign for 85th street as she walked away from the man's apartment.

The man couldn't blame her for not noticing or remembering the address. Olivia was trying to have a good time and forget on her way there, and she was trying to escape on her way out. He asked one final time if she had anything to add. When the female detective said no, he turned off the tape recorder and looked her in the eyes, "You haven't showered yet, have you?"

"I fell asleep when I got to Casey's," She whispered.

Elliot nodded, "Are you staying with her?"

"I believe I am."

"Go rest, then."

Olivia looked at Elliot, tears shining in her eyes as she willed them not to fall, "Can I ask a favor of you first?"

"Anything."

"Come with me to the locker room and stay there as I take a shower," she pleaded. "I want you there. If Kevin finds out I told, he'll kill me and you can save me."

Elliot nodded and stood to move by Olivia. He helped her to stand and gently placed an arm around her shoulder. He led her to the door and stopped before opening it. "I will come with you," he responded, "and I will always be here. All right?"

Her only response was a slight nod of the head. He pushed open the door, walked past their three coworkers, and went to assist Olivia in washing away as much of the previous night's events as could possibly be removed. However, Elliot knew that it would never be that simple.

* * *

A/N: Long, poor chapter. Written late at night instead of doing homework. I guess that's how I roll until the school year is out. Only 3 more weeks! Thank goodness. Please review and tell me what you think. I love constructive criticism. I want to make this better!!! Ok?? Thanks! Oh, and I'll try to update soon. 


	5. Control

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! When I know people are reading a story, it tends to get me to update faster. Anywho…My school had Joynite (our school talent show thing) on May 17 & 18…my choir performed…we did a '90s medley with "Gangsta's Paradise," "Who Let The Dogs Out," "Tearin' Up My Heart," "I Will Always Love You," "Wannabe," "Bye, Bye, Bye," and "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Complete with choreography!! Woo Hoo! SO now I'm back and here we go.

A/N2: Yes, this is titled control. Yes, it's after the Janet Jackson song. Yes, I'm sorry.

_Without further ado…_

**Chapter 5: Control**

* * *

Once in the locker room, Olivia shed her clothing, completely unaware of the fact that her actions were being performed directly in front of her partner's eyes. Elliot took little notice of her physical condition as he grabbed the woven articles and put them aside. He gently led Olivia into the shower stall and turned the water on so it was warm. Testing the temperature, he allowed it to heat up a bit and then let Olivia step slowly onto the tiled floor. He watched like a hawk as his partner adjusted the water – making it hotter than he had – and grabbed her shower gel and a sponge. She ran the soapy sponge over her body, scrubbing over and over in an attempt to rid herself of the feeling of her rapist's hands traveling over her, the feel of his lips meeting her soft skin. She scrubbed until she was too sore to rub at her skin anymore. The skin was taking on a pinkish color – she had rubbed it raw. 

After dropping the soapy sponge, she let the water run over her body. Steam escaped from beyond the half-closed curtains, and Elliot silently wondered whether the water was too hot. Figuring that Olivia could take care of herself, he chose not to worry. Her body wracked with sobs as she sunk to the tile floor and she examined every bruise she could see. Elliot stood close by, but the silent companionship was all he offered. These were not his demons to fight – all he could give was support.

Within a few minutes, Olivia had used Elliot's arm to stand back up. She pulled her strawberry champagne scented shampoo from a shelf and began lathering the substance through her hair. Again, she scrubbed until she could scrub no more. As she rinsed the soapy liquid from her hair, Elliot watched and saw how broken his partner was. Still crying silently, Olivia looked less like the strong and independent woman he had always known and more like a vulnerable child who needed someone to check the closet for monsters before she would go to sleep.

She conditioned her hair in the same manner, let the water run over her body until it turned cold, and turned to step out of the shower. She shoved the curtain aside and stepped into the strong and comforting arms of Elliot as he enveloped her in a fluffy towel and warm embrace. Olivia turned in his arms as he gently dried her bruised and battered body. Grabbing an extra pair of his NYPD Sweatpants, a t-shirt, and invading her locker for a bra and underwear, Elliot gently sat Olivia on a bench with the towel beneath her as he helped her to clothe herself.

Eventually the female detective looked comfortable enough and her tears had subsided. Elliot, still in silence, assisted her to rise and walked her out of the locker room, into the squad room, and assisted her to sit gently in the chair behind her desk. Still in obvious pain, every move Olivia made was careful and slow. She rested her wrapped wrist gently on the desk in front of her, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, Casey was standing in front of her, resting her body against the metal desk.

The silence in the room continued for a few minutes – the only audible sounds were those of fingers striking keys to type up reports. Stabler had entered his captain's office when he had been silently beckoned, Casey refused to give up her post in front of her friend, John and Fin were both working, but constantly sending caring and concerned glances Olivia's way, and Benson simply hung her head in an attempt to remove herself from the center of attention.

Olivia was the first to break the silence, "You know…I really am fine."

"I bet you've said that word so many times in your life that it has no meaning anymore," Fin spat back.

Olivia sat a little straighter in her chair. She was shocked by what her coworker had suggested. She glanced at Novak, who nodded in agreement. The female detective felt her cheeks growing red and anger boiling inside. She was fine, and no one could take that from her. Her ability to remain calm under pressure – to hide her feelings until she was alone – was one of the few things she could control anymore, and Olivia Benson would be damned if any of them took that from her. She had certainly broken down earlier; letting her friends see her at her most vulnerable point had nearly killed her. Yet, for some reason she felt that she had no choice but to control herself.

"Like you have much room to talk," she whispered through her bruises.

"I have plenty of room to talk," the detective shot back. "I'm not the one whose entire life was taken away from them and is saying that I'm fine with it. That would be you, and I don't think you're fine. No one does."

Looking away from Fin, Benson struggled with her composure. She didn't need this challenge today. "You," she hissed venomously, "can stop attacking me and start searching for the ass hole that ruined my life. I don't _need _you trying to tell me that I'm not okay."

Fin rolled his eyes and went back to staring at his computer screen. However, he was no longer typing. Casey placed a hand on Olivia's shoulder, but the brown haired woman shrugged it away. Novak sighed softly, but didn't make any other attempts to reach out to her friend. John watched the interaction and wished he could make a difference. Knowing that he couldn't, he offered the only words he could think of, "Liv, we don't get to pick the victim. You know that, I know that, and everyone else here does. Sure, it sucks when we're working a case for someone we know, for you." John rose and started to walk over towards the woman he had come to think of as a little sister. He continued speaking gently, "But you aren't helping any of us by saying you're fine when you are obviously hurt in too many ways to count. Maybe it's a pride thing, maybe it's control, I don't know. I've never been where you are right now. Still, that doesn't change the fact that we all care about you. I care about you; Fin cares about you; Casey and Cragen care about you. And Elliot…Elliot has been a walking nutcase since he saw you this morning. We want you better. We want you happy. We _need _you to admit that you've fallen down this once and need someone to pick up the pieces. Even superheroes need help sometimes."

Olivia appeared to be mulling over his words for a period of time. John stood next to her chair, refusing to give her a reason to say that he wasn't going to be there. During the awkward silence, Elliot and Cragen stepped out of the office. Munch hadn't looked away from Benson, who was internally struggling with the concept of letting someone into the brick walls she'd built years before. Without warning, the female detective stood up and walked out of the squad room in silence. For a moment, no one followed. However, when it became obvious that she had no intention of returning, Don held up his right hand as a soundless command for all to remain where they were. He then left the room at a brisk walk and found his detective sitting on a bench right outside of the room, attempting to catch her breath.

"You are stubborn," Cragen stated. "You know that?"

"They can't take the one thing I still have away from me."

"What," he prompted, "are they trying to take away?"

Olivia took a deep breath. Her voice shook with each word as she prevented tears from falling as she spoke, "I said I was fine. I _am _fine. Fin…Fin told me that I wasn't fine, but he doesn't know anything. They want to take away the fact that I can still control my emotions. I can't control anything but that – I can control being fine."

"They won't take that away, Liv."

"Not intentionally, no," she responded. "But I don't have a single thing going for me anymore, Captain. I don't have any control in my life. I _need _control. I need it now. I can control my composure, and I will. They can't take that from me."

Cragen thought for a moment before speaking once more, "You'll get through this."

Olivia didn't respond at first. When she did, her answer was short and simple.

"I just want to go home."

* * *

Elliot drove Casey and Olivia to Casey's apartment at which point he walked them to the door and made sure they were inside and the door was locked before he let the two women be. They arrived around 9:30 in the evening and the injured member of the group looked absolutely beat. Olivia had stepped inside and sat on the couch, resting her head against the arm and pulling her legs up on the cushion, resting in as close to a fetal position as she could manage without causing her ribs to scream out in pain. Dark bags rested beneath her brown eyes and her entire demeanor represented pure exhaustion. Novak went directly to the kitchen to get one of the prescribed pain pills, sleeping pills, and a glass of water. 

Olivia's silence had continued from the moment Cragen had stepped in the bull pen and told Stabler to take the two women to the ADA's place of residence. Olivia had moved slower than she had since leaving the hospital, so Novak simply assumed that she was in pain. Placing the white pill on the coffee table and the glass of ice water on a coaster right next to the pill, she sat back in the chair she'd occupied earlier.

"You might want to take those," She stated calmly.

No response came from Benson. Her eyes were drifting shut, but there was a constant struggle to keep them open. Casey pulled an extra pillow and blanket from the closet in the hallway and lifted Olivia's head enough to rest the pillow beneath it and draped the throw blanket over her. The deep maroon color was enveloping the detective's line of sight as her friend gently tucked the soft fabric around her and whispered soothing words.

"Just rest, sweetie. I'll be here when you wake up," the ADA muttered.

With that promise, Benson let herself drift into a fitful sleep. Novak sat on the floor by the couch, resting her head against the side that was farthest from Olivia's head, and allowed herself to take mini naps through the evening. Despite her exhaustion, Casey refused to break her promise and not be right by her friend's side whenever she woke up. Every ninety minutes or so, Olivia would scream or start to move. Casey woke immediately and stroked her friend hair. One time she lifted the brown-haired woman's head, sat up on the couch and rested Benson's head back in her lap. After every scene, Olivia would eventually drift back to sleep.

Around 4:00 in the morning, Olivia's body finally relaxed, her breathing evened out, and the woman got some much needed rest. Casey allowed herself to sprawl her body across the floor and sleep as well. The ADA awoke to the sounds of someone scurrying about the apartment. When she opened her eyes and looked up, Olivia was in the kitchen scrambling eggs. Casey noticed that the pain pill – naproxen – had been consumed, but the sleeping pill – ambien – was still on the coffee table. Benson looked better than she had the night before, and the breakfast she was cooking smelled great. Casey stretched as she stood up. A night on the floor did not do any good for the ADA's body, but she knew she would survive. Walking over to the table, she sat down as Olivia put a plate in front of her with eggs and toast. However, the brown haired detective didn't serve anything for herself.

"You should eat too," Casey nudged.

"Already did," Olivia responded. Her voice was happier than it had been the day before. Her wrist was still wrapped, and the cuts and bruises remained all over her fragile body, but she seemed to be in a better mood.

"You wouldn't lie about that, would you?"

Olivia opened the dishwasher and pointed to the plate, silverware, and glass that had already been rinsed and set to be washed. "I'm not lying," Benson said.

"All right, then. This looks delicious," said Casey.

"Then eat up!"

* * *

A/N: It seems like a weird ending, I agree. But it sets the stage for the next chapter. I promise. I'm not a big fan of this one…but that's alright. I think. I hope. Let me know what you think…criticism is always appreciated! I know it isn't my best work…but at least it's an update right? 


	6. On the Mend

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: This has been my week from heck. No joke. I just have been down and out the whole week…I didn't get drum major (and my understanding is that I wasn't being considered from the start because my directors wanted me on the field…which makes me mad because the way my main director explained it was that the "top choice" didn't get the position because the plan was to make them section leader. He said I should be comforted by that…which leads me to believe I was the best choice and I didn't get it because they want me to be section leader.). Anyway…one more week of school, then finals, then I'm officially a senior and have a summer off. Thank god.

So here's chapter 6, and I think there are 4 or 5 more chapters…in my current timeline…because I don't plan on using _this _story to go through the trial…merely to work up to it. We'll see. I warn you, this chapter was written while I was very angry and upset…and it's not my best work ever, nor does it move forward once more. So thanks for reading it anyways.

_Without further ado…_

**Chapter 6: On the Mend**

* * *

It had been nearly a month since Olivia Benson was raped. The big wigs of the New York City Police Department had strongly encouraged her reassignment to a different unit due to a bias that she would possess after her own attack. After extensive therapy and interviews with George Huang, a psychiatrist with the FBI, and almost four weeks of recovery time, the brown eyed detective had successfully convinced her superiors that remaining a member of the Special Victims Unit squad was best for her and for the unit. Finally, Benson was returning to work.

She continued to reside with Novak. While Olivia had yet to sell her own apartment, Casey had offered numerous times to allow her to move in. They got along well and the detective always slept better when the ADA was nearby. There were many nights when the two women would sit together after Olivia would wake from a nightmare, and even more nights when Casey would wait up with her friend until she was able to fall asleep.

The entire squad had been a rock for the female detective. They understood her need to be with them during the days, even if she wasn't working, and often allowed her to throw in her two cents when she could see something they couldn't on their current case. When she napped in the crib, the men all took turns checking on her. Elliot, however, had taken her absence the hardest. Refusing to be assigned to a new partner, the squad remained one person down, increasing the hours each person was required to put in.

Stabler made himself available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week in case Olivia ever needed someone to call. He spent many evening's at Casey's apartment, leaving when the women were headed to bed. Protecting Benson became his primary purpose, his job and family came second to the security of his partner. Olivia was still weary of his presence at times, and refused to speak to him about any other details of the attack, but took his assistance and allowed him to help her more times than not.

Despite their efforts, the members of the Special Victims Unit were no closer to finding the identity or location of Olivia's rapist. Her unease was well masked by her calm composure around her coworkers, but at night, Elliot and Casey saw her tears and her fear. They noted all of the changes in her demeanor and were constantly trying to reassure her that she was safe. Both tried to get her to remember something more with every day that passed, but Olivia persistently responded with an explanation about how she couldn't remember anything else, and she didn't want to either.

It was a Monday night when Elliot had come over with Chinese take out and joined Olivia and Casey for dinner once more. He watched with concern as Olivia pushed her food around her plate, but ate very little. He had been noticing her changes in appetite since the attack had taken place. His partner had been losing weight consistently in the last month, he never saw her eat lunch, and at dinner she ate very little. Novak insisted that she saw the dirty dishes from her friend's breakfast every morning, as Benson always woke and ate before the ADA. Elliot was positive there was a problem, but never dared to say it aloud, and Casey seemed to think there was none. Still, Olivia didn't have much weight to lose in the first place, and the fact that she was obviously skinnier than she had been before the rape took place made Stabler sit on constant lookout.

"Eat something," he urged Olivia gently. The brown haired woman shrugged as she pushed the food around again. She never looked up from her plate. Elliot sighed softly, "Why won't you eat anything?"

"Not hungry."

He was quick to fight her answer, "I don't buy that. You didn't eat lunch – or anything else today except breakfast. I know you, and you don't pass up a meal. Please, just eat a little."

Olivia took a bite. "Happy now?"

"No," Casey responded. "I don't want to say this, and I've been ignoring it, but I think Elliot's right. What's going on here? You're not eating, and I don't ever see you eat more than a few bites of food a day."

"Nothing is going on," Olivia responded defiantly. The detective took a moment to breathe, then rose from the table, took her plate to the sink, walked away from her friends, and slammed the door to the bedroom without saying a word.

"You believe me?"

Casey took a moment to register what Elliot had asked and all of the conversations the two of them had in the past month about Olivia's eating patterns. Each time she had shot him down, not wanting to admit to herself that she could have missed the start of an eating disorder in the person she'd been taking care of. Yet, it all seemed to add up. Olivia never ate in front of anyone, unless the three of them were at dinner, and then she would simply move her food around on her plate and stay quiet. It was true that her entire personality and sense of worth had changed dramatically in the last month, but Casey had always thought it impossible for her friend to feel so out of control that she restricted herself from eating in order to regain some power in her own life.

"I think you may be right," she whispered.

Elliot nodded. Taking a deep breath, he spoke again, "And our next step is?"

* * *

"Olivia," Huang smiled politely. "How are you today?"

"You want honesty?" The detective questioned bitterly. A bit shocked at her response, the doctor only nodded, "Fine. I'm pissed off, tired, and sick of everyone treating me like I can't take care of myself."

"It sounds like this wasn't the best week."

Olivia let out a slight chuckle, not of amusement, but of annoyance. It was finally Friday, and the required weekly visit with Dr. Huang was about to take place. As soon as it was over, Benson knew she could go to Casey's, curl up on the couch, and pretend she didn't exist. No one had mentioned her weight since Monday, but it still nagged at her daily that Elliot thought there was a problem; generally, she listened to him and trusted him – his gut instinct was never wrong. She rolled her eyes, "That was the understatement of the century."

"So, tell me about it."

At the physician's prompting, Benson took a seat in one of the chairs in his office. She crossed her legs, placed her hands in her lap, and refused to say another word. George was used to this; every session they had, Olivia would make small talk, start to lead into opening up to him, then she would clam up, sit in the same position, stare at her feet, and wouldn't speak until she was sick of hearing his voice. Ninety percent of the time they didn't get anywhere. However, today he had an actual discussion point, one that he felt necessary to get an answer for. Huang wasn't going to let the newly discovered information slide.

"You've been losing a lot of weight this month," he stated. The psychiatrist watched as Olivia sunk into her chair and avoided looking at him. Cautiously, he spoke once more, "Olivia, I know others have noticed your change in appearance. You don't seem to care anymore, but more importantly, you are much skinnier than you have ever been. Please tell me what's been going on."

Again, the doctor received no response. Huang thought for a moment, feeling the tension in the room growing thicker as Olivia tried to pretend she wasn't there. His patient was not cooperating, and while he expected her to be stubborn, he had hoped for a response so he didn't have to drag anyone else into this.

"Your friends are concerned."

"Friends?" The brown haired detective choked out.

"Yes," the doctor responded gently. "Your friends came to me a few days ago, they said you were avoiding the discussion topic and they were worried. Many people have seen a difference, and while it is expected of you, this is extreme."

"I'm trying to eat healthier and lose a few pounds, that would be all," the woman insisted.

"You've lost more than a few pounds. How much do you weigh?"

She shrugged.

"Not enough," the doctor attempted to answer for her.

"I," Olivia reacted harshly, "am perfectly fine. I feel fine; I'm healing. I'm _dealing _with this in the best way I know how, and I don't see a problem with that. _I _am in control of my life. Not you, not my _friends, _no one but me can control this. So don't judge me for how I _deal. _Don't question my methods of survival." Olivia took a deep breath and stood up from her perch. She glared at the physician with a look that could easily kill. She finished her thought before storming from the room, "The day you're raped and have everything stolen from you, and disappoint your friends and your coworkers because you can't remember enough to catch the guy, then you can talk to me. Then, and _only _then, can you tell me how I'm not dealing with my emotions, or that I should be eating more. Only then will I let you judge me, because as of this moment, you don't know what the _hell _you're talking about. Thank you, doctor."

George sighed as Olivia slammed the door to his office. The brown haired woman was upset, and he couldn't blame her, but that had not gone as well as planned. Huang picked up his phone, dialed what had become a very familiar number, and waited patiently for Elliot Stabler to answer on the other side.

* * *

_"You!" _

Elliot jumped in his chair as Olivia walked into the bull pen with a vehement look on her face and pure anger in her eyes. Despite the fact that Dr. Huang had called to warn him that she was on the prowl and was not a very pleasant person at the moment, he hadn't expected her to be so infuriated that her first response was to enter the squad room and yell at him. She threw her coat across his desk onto hers and stood over him, breathing heavy. Nearly every warm body in the room had stopped to watch the scene that was unfolding and John was slowly standing up, ready to move if Olivia tried to take Stabler's head.

"What did I do?" He questioned slowly.

"You had _no _right to talk to Huang. This is my life, not yours," Benson answered. Her voice was dripping with fury, but also showed subtle hints of disappointment. She took a moment to compose herself and continued, "I am doing my best here. I don't have a job to come to every day, I don't have a family to turn to for support, and, most importantly, I don't have any control over anything. _You, _on the other hand, have a perfect life, great kids, and weren't raped a month ago. The next time you feel like barging in on _my _life," the woman leaned in so the two were nearly nose to nose, "just don't. Because I don't think I can handle it."

She pulled back and turned to walk away. Elliot stood to follow her, but stopped in his tracks as she turned around. Walking back over to her partner, Olivia shook her head and took a moment to just glare before slapping him. The room went silent as they watched Benson's labored breathing and John walked over to assess the situation and pick up the pieces when one of them began to fall.

Elliot stared at his best friend with a blank expression. He couldn't move or think, all he knew was that Olivia had slapped him, and it had actually hurt. While he had expected her to lash out at some point, he hadn't expected it to be violence, nor had he expected it to happen right in front of his colleagues. He slowly brought a hand up to his cheek and rubbed the point of impact gently.

"Damn," he whispered.

As quickly as her rage had begun, it left her system as she turned into a caring and protective friend. She looked at Elliot's cheek, which was red, and began apologizing profusely. John walked behind the brown eyed female as she started wavering and gently reached out to grab her elbows as she began losing her balance. Feeling the unwanted and unsolicited touch, however, Olivia quickly pulled away from the contact and found herself falling into Elliot's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, at which point the female detective lost her wits and began hitting at his chest, desperately trying to get out of the situation. Stabler refused to loosen his grip, convinced that what his partner needed at the moment was someone to tell her it would be okay.

"Let go of me," Olivia shouted. "Get off! Get the hell off of me!"

Cragen stepped out of his office as he heard Benson's shouts. His eyes drifted to Munch, who's baffled and hurt expression didn't explain much, he then glanced at Elliot and Olivia. The man was struggling to calm his friend, but wasn't doing a very good job. Fin was doing nothing more but staring, as was everyone else in the room.

"Don't touch me!"

Her shouts didn't cease as Elliot tried to whisper soothing words to her. Benson began clawing at him, doing everything in her power to get him to let her go. Feeling that the woman had taken enough and that Stabler's well intended attempts were failing, Don decided to take action.

"Elliot," he stated calmly but firmly. "Let her go. Take your arms off of her and let Olivia go right now."

Slowly the taller detective began to loosen his grip on the crying form in front of him. Benson took a moment to realize that she was free before she backed away, into the man wearing a black suit. As she turned quickly to see who was there, she visibly relaxed realizing it was only Munch. She glanced at her captain who was still trying to understand the events that had just taken place. Slowly, her boss looked into her eyes and simply motioned for her to enter his office.

Walking past Elliot, Olivia entered the small room, scared to death of what was to come.

* * *

A/N: Okay, horrible, yes. I'm sorry…but she _did _lose control – and that's what Olivia has always had in life. Rape victims don't have anything left, they don't have pride, they don't feel safe, but most importantly they don't have control. So they take control of what they _do _have, and that is, quite often, food. Olivia wasn't dealing – her friends were trying, but Olivia just wasn't dealing. In your reviews, though, I need help. Find the guy or no? I can do it either way…but I don't know.

Please let me know what you think, thanks for all of the great reviews so far, and I hope for more! I love encouragement, and I need constructive criticism.


	7. Even Superman

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: First things first, it's Memorial Day, so this chapter is dedicated to those who have died fighting for our country, are currently fighting, and will fight. That's my spiel there….

Next up, thanks for the reviews again! Getting them makes me feel happy. Seriously. If I had time to reply to each review individually, I would. But I usually don't, so I reply to ones that need it and from there I just kind of thank you all in my author's notes. So thank you, thank you, thank you! I also have, with thanks to reviewers and some brainstorming with a friend, completely figured out the ending. I almost have the last chapter written…I just have to make some tweaks and fix it to be certain it matches the rest of the story.

WARNING: EO-ness comes into full swing at this point. It's mild, and it will NOT move quickly because Olivia was raped, after all…but if you don't like EO…don't read. Or read and don't flame. Thanks!!

Alrighty, here it goes:

_Without further ado…._

**Chapter 7: Even Superman**

* * *

Olivia stood in the office with her arms crossed over her chest as Don shut the door softly. "Sit," he motioned. Olivia shook her head defiantly. Cragen shook his head as he stood across from the detective, attempting to find the right words that would make the situation he had to handle easier. Finding no easier way of asking the questions that had to be pursued, the bald man slowly took in a deep breath and began speaking, "You're supposed to come back to work on Monday, and now you make me question your ability to return. What the hell was all of that about?"

"With all due respect, Captain," Olivia stated blankly. "What you witnessed was completely personal and I never should have brought it into the workplace. However, I wasn't on duty and I needed to handle it, so I approached Elliot here. I'm sorry, but I don't believe it should have any bearing on whether or not I am allowed to come back."

"I have to disagree. As far as I'm concerned, you haven't dealt with the effects of the incident that took you off of the job in the first place. I also have to question your ability to work compatibly with your partner."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "This is bull," she muttered. "I've dealt with this in the best way I possibly can. I'm still dealing with it. He's still out there, and you expect me to be calm, cool and collected? That's not happening. And as for working with my partner – maybe you should talk to him about keeping his nose out of other people's business. He and Casey approached George," she paused. Realizing she was about to let her composure go, Benson took a moment to calm herself before continuing, "They told him they were concerned that I wasn't eating enough-"

"You aren't," Cragen cut her off.

"Don't even get me started," Olivia pushed back.

"Olivia, don't make me extend your absence longer. Please, promise me you'll get help."

The brown haired woman thought for a few moments. There was no problem – she was in control and punishing herself for what was her fault. As soon as she was positive that she'd received what she deserved, she could stop. Still, the concern that laced the older man's features made Olivia feel guilty for worrying him. She nodded in response as she dropped her arms to her sides and looked at the floor.

Cragen cautiously moved closer to her before speaking once more, "This will get better. We'll catch him, and you'll be safe again."

"Yeah," the detective whispered.

"You should talk to Elliot."

Olivia shrugged. Speaking to her partner meant admitting that he had done the right thing, and Benson was positive that he hadn't. While she appreciated his love and his support, she didn't need him babying her or protecting her. He didn't know what it was like to suffer in the ways she had.

"Detective Benson, if you do not speak with your partner right now and work this mess out, I will not allow you to return to work on Monday. Fix this or be suspended, it's your decision."

"Fine," Olivia said.

Cragen poked his head out of the door, giving the woman a few seconds to gather her wits. Benson quickly thought through what to say to Stabler. She was mad at him, but the remorse she felt over physically lashing out at him was almost unbearable. Knowing that an apology was necessary, the detective resigned herself to once again being at fault for something that was done wrong and decided to get it over with.

When the bald captain and tall, dark haired detective entered the small room together, Olivia took a step back from them, not yet comfortable being surrounded by people – especially men. Elliot looked at his partner; she noted the look of sorrow that he tried to mask and immediately walked up to him and gently caressed the red, slightly swollen spot along his left cheek. He pulled back slightly at the touch, but allowed her to examine the damage she had caused. Silence was more than enough for the two of them as Olivia looked into his blue eyes and he offered a small nod. Deciphering his actions to signify that he was all right, Benson slowly leaned into his chest and let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. Gently, Elliot brought one arm up and pulled Olivia closer to him. She felt the contact and let herself relax into the warmth of her partner's arms.

Smiling slightly, Don left the room in order to give space to his detectives so they could work out whatever needed to be handled. The man was, however, shocked at their ability to communicate without words. He gave a simple nod to allow the other members of his squad know that their friends were fine and saw Casey standing by Olivia's desk. He slowly made his way to the ADA.

"Did she really hit him?"

Cragen let out a small sigh, "Yes Casey. How did you find out?"

"Elliot called," She responded slowly. The blonde haired woman took in a deep breath, "He said that she just started yelling at him about how he didn't have a right to invade her privacy and then she hit him."

"Olivia's hurt and scared," Don said calmly. "She _will _get through this, but we've all got to give her more space than we want to. Elliot's talking to her right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's pretty upset with you anyway."

Casey leaned her weight against Olivia's desk as she ran a hand through her hair. Shaking her head, she verbally organized her thoughts, "Olivia trusted me. I promised that what was said in my apartment stayed in my apartment, and I told her that I would give her my trust. I broke that, I threw it all away."

"You were concerned."

"I was selfish," she countered. "I wanted my friend to be healthy and happy, so I broke her confidence and told someone that I was scared she had an eating disorder. I didn't even approach her about it first; just went straight over her head to her therapist and hoped she wouldn't figure out it was Elliot and me."

Silently berating herself for losing her friend's trust, Casey almost missed the captain's words when he spoke again, "You did what you thought you needed to do, and while she'll be upset for a while, she'll thank you in the end. Olivia doesn't stay mad, Casey. We all know that."

"I only hope you're right this time. If I were her, I'd never forgive the people who betrayed me in that way."

"Trust me," the captain whispered. "She's already forgiven Elliot."

Inside of the office, Olivia slowly pulled herself from the embrace she'd succumbed to and began silently searching for the words that would give her the opportunity to find the answers she so desperately needed. Discussing her problems was not an activity she looked highly upon. Never before had she thought about asking Elliot why he and Casey were so adamant about making certain she was eating. She didn't understand their concern over her lack of discussion on the topic, nor did she understand why he cared so much.

Finding her own voice, Benson looked at the floor as she squeaked out her first of many questions, "You were the one who told him, right?"

Elliot thought for a moment, not removing his hand from Olivia's side, keeping her close enough that he could catch her if she fell. He would admit to his own fault, but he decided against drawing Casey into the mess – the ADA didn't deserve the anger that his partner was certain to feel. "I told him," Stabler stated gently.

"Why?"

"Because I care about you, Liv, and you're not taking care of yourself. You aren't letting anyone close enough to help you. I needed someone who could deal with this – a professional – to help me save you."

Olivia stepped away at his words. She was hurt at the thought that Elliot thought he needed to save her. She wasn't a child who needed to be rescued. They just had to stop smothering her and maybe she could pretend that none of this had ever happened. She noticed her partner taking a small step closer to her, but he didn't reach out as he had before. She didn't move or look at him. He sighed softly, "Talk to me."

"I'm not a baby," she stated.

"I know that."

"You don't have to save me," she answered.

Elliot shook his head, "Liv, everyone needs saving sometimes."

Her eyes clouded over with tears as she realized he was right. She shook her head and cleared it quickly, willing herself not to break _again. _Slowly, she responded, "I _don't _need saving. I put these guys away every day, that's my life. I shouldn't need to be saved from them."

"Even superman falls to his knees," The tall man offered for comfort. He felt his partner step closer to him again and he allowed her to fall into his arms as she cried the first tears she'd truly let escape from the the day after she was raped. He rubbed small circles on her back as her legs stopped holding Olivia's weight and he sat into a chair with her on his lap. The two remained in that position long enough for Elliot's legs to fall asleep, but that didn't seem to matter. Even after his partner's tears had subsided, she clung desperately to his dark blue shirt. He slowly stood, cradling the small woman in his arms and made a mental note to make sure she ate more.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight?"

Olivia took her time to register the question before nodding into his chest. Elliot slowly carried her from the office, pushing the door open with his hip as he held her tightly. He stopped by his desk and let his charge down from his arms and set her gently on the desk, her legs hanging off of the side. He put his coat on, grabbed hers and assisted her, pulled what he needed from his desk, and walked in front of his captain. After a hushed conversation, he told Casey not to worry, but Olivia would be with him for the evening. All agreed to keep each other updated on the progress that was made.

While Novak, Stabler, and Cragen had a private meeting by Olivia's desk, Munch took his opportunity to speak with Olivia – something he hadn't done very much in the past few weeks.

"How's my favorite SVU detective?"

"Pretty crappy," Olivia whispered, staring at her own feet. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, a bit worried about you though."

"Don't worry about me," she urged. "I just need to get over myself, and I'll be back on Monday."

John, taking on the role of a caring father, gently roughed up Olivia's hair, "You, my darling, will get by this. I know it. Let Elliot help you though, okay? It kills him when you're sad, and he wants to make it better. Trust me when I say he can make some of it go away, all right?"

Olivia nodded and offered a gentle smile to the older detective. He pulled her into a gentle hug, one she didn't try to pull out of. The gray haired man kissed her forehead gently and moved to the side as Elliot stood before her again. He smiled over the younger man's shoulder to offer Benson what little comfort he could. Olivia looked at the man and offered a confident nod before Munch moved back to his desk, sat down, and started spilling a conspiracy theory to Fin. Letting out a sigh of relief, Olivia pushed herself to slide off of the desk. Stabler gently placed an arm around her waist and led her slowly from the squad room.

* * *

As Elliot sat Olivia on his couch and ordered a pizza for delivery, he heard the TV in the living room turn on and the distinct flipping of channels. The second he finished placing the order for their dinner, he entered the living room to find that his partner had taken off her tennis shoes, pulled her legs up and under her, and was leaning against the arm of the couch. Elliot took a seat on the other side, close enough to reach out to her if she asked for it, but far enough away that if Benson needed her space she could easily have it.

The brown-eyed woman set down the remote, settling on watching a repeat of _MASH. _Elliot watched the show, but spent more time focusing on his charge who appeared to be falling victim to her own thoughts. He didn't push her to come out of them, but was constantly aware of her status. They sat in compatible silence, each one thinking about the past month.

All was fine until the doorbell rang and Olivia jumped. Elliot noticed her unease and gently kissed her forehead, whispering that he would be right back, before he walked to the door. He paid for the pizza and breadsticks before sending the man on his way and shutting the door. After placing the box containing the food on the coffee table, he focused on Benson, whose eyes were glossy and was trying her hardest to hold back tears. Elliot gently rested his arms around her as she calmed her fears and reminded herself that she was with someone who would protect her from the world.

Slowly she allowed herself to relax and Elliot removed his arms. He walked to the kitchen to get two paper plates and a handful of napkins. He watched as Olivia took a small piece of pizza. He grabbed two and a breadstick and sat back to watch the evening news. Olivia nibbled at her pizza as they listened to the television. At first, her partner said absolutely nothing about the three bites of food she'd taken, but as she set her plate on top of one of the boxes, he spoke up, "You know, you didn't eat very much."

"El," she whispered exasperatedly, "I get that you're worried, and I think it means a lot to me, but I'm just not hungry, okay?"

"I don't care," he stated authoritatively. "You don't eat enough, and by carrying you out of Cragen's office today, I would dare to say that you weigh less than Lizzie or Kathleen." Olivia outwardly flinched as Elliot compared her to his teenage daughters. He sighed softly and continued, "I know you don't want to eat, but I'm worried. For me, just finish one piece of pizza?"

"Please don't make me."

"I won't force you," the man said as he placed a hand reassuringly on her leg. "I will, however, bug you if you don't."

"Fine," Benson whimpered as she picked up her plate. Elliot finished his dinner as she finished hers. Feeling too full for anything else, Olivia left the crust on her paper plate and put back on the table.

Stabler nodded as she finished the last bite. He smiled caringly at his friend, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Olivia managed to croak out as she scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Elliot leaned back into the cushions so the two were more comfortable and changed channels around until he found a movie to watch. Setting the remote down, he discovered that his partner's brown eyes were closed and her breathing had evened out into slow, consistent breaths. He smiled softly as he thought about how beautiful she was and let her get all the rest she could.

Elliot gently rested his arm over her back as Benson snuggled closer to him. Her body was resting across his and he had no complaints. The two remained in the same position for nearly three hours before Olivia began her nightly tossing and turning. Casey had warned Elliot of nightmares, but he never really knew what to expect. At first, he attributed the jerky movements to nothing more than a dream, but when the brown haired woman began muttering pleading phrases in her sleep and finally shouted for someone to get off of her, Stabler knew that what he was witnessing was a nightmare. He gently pulled Olivia into his lap and rocked her back and forth until she woke.

When her eyes first opened, Olivia tried to get out of his arms, and Elliot gave her ample opportunity. But as she started to associate the voice that was whispering soothing words to her with her partner's face, she slowly calmed herself and felt her body leaning into his. He comforted her cautiously, and waited until she seemed completely content before moving at all. Once Olivia seemed at ease, he spoke to her gently, "You okay?"

"I am now," she whispered.

"Good," was the only response. For a few minutes he simply rested his chin on her head. When she yawned he was pulled from his silent reverie and back into reality. He quickly jumped to her aid, "Still tired?"

"A little," the brown haired woman muttered.

"How about you go lay in bed for a while and I'll stay out here on the couch? You'll be just down the hall, if you get scared, you can call for me."

"You could…" Olivia let her voice trail off, realizing her idea was a stupid one.

Elliot wouldn't let her back away though, "I could what?"

"Stay with me," the female detective stated meekly.

"Only if it's what you want," he responded willingly.

Olivia nodded as she rose from the couch, holding out her hand for him to grab. Elliot pulled himself from the cushions and took hold of it gingerly. They walked together into his bedroom where he turned down the sheets. Benson looked around and took in her surroundings. She sat on the edge of the bed that was closest to the floor. Elliot pulled out an old black t-shirt and a pair of boxers. He glanced at his partner, who was still wearing jeans and an orange sweater. Slowly, he grabbed a pair of gym shorts and an NYPD long-sleeved shirt from his dresser. He set them next to Olivia. She looked at him quizzically.

"It's never comfortable to sleep in jeans," he answered.

She nodded and walked out of the room, to the restroom, and changed. When she returned, Elliot was in boxers and the t-shirt he had pulled for himself. Olivia swam in clothing he handed her, but she wore it anyway, relishing in the safe scent of her best friend. Elliot sat on the bed and patted the mattress next to him. Slowly and cautiously, Benson made herself to lay in the bed and felt the person next to her pull the covers over each of them. She was, for some odd reason, incredibly cold. As she shivered slightly, Elliot slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her fragile body closer to his strong one.

Silently, Olivia felt herself resting her back against his chest and let out a sigh of comfort as she intertwined her fingers in his. For the first time in a very long time, she felt one hundred percent safe.

"I love you, Liv," her partner whispered softly.

Hesitant about her own response, Olivia only grinned gently and nuzzled her own body closer to his. Elliot took that as a good sign and held her close, fending off any other nightmares or demons that would ever try to hurt his woman again.

* * *

A/N: I can't tell you how I feel about this. I'm drawing off of experience here…totally honest…and there were so many raw emotions that I didn't know how to handle them all. I seriously hope this was enjoyable…it probably should have been broken into two chapters – the precinct and then El's house. I wanted her to confront Casey, but it didn't feel right. I don't know…and I wanted some fluffy stuff. I wanted her to cuddle with him and I wanted her to feel safe. He's the only person that can protect her in that way….and I think I made that clear.

So please review!!! It means the world when you do!!!!


	8. Give Me Just One Night

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: It's officially the weekend before finals. What should Katie be doing? Katie _should _be studying and writing outlines for the two papers she's required to write during the final for two of her classes…but she's not, because she can't focus anymore, so she's here. Doing this. Being unproductive. But that's okay with me…because my finals are, for the most part, simple, and I'm not very concerned.

A/N2: Okay, so I just finished finals. I started this on Saturday and its now Wednesday and I'm officially a Senior. I couldn't finish this prior to this afternoon because I was WAY too busy trying to pass my classes…okay, more like pull high A's in every class, but same difference. Sorry it took so long. Seriously.

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! It always makes me want to update…even if I take forever.

_Without further ado…_

**Chapter 8: Give Me Just One Night**

* * *

When Olivia finally awoke the morning after falling asleep next to Elliot, she was relieved to see she'd had approximately six hours of restful sleep, something she very rarely experienced anymore. Slowly removing his arms from around her torso, and relishing in the feeling of safety she received from having him there, the detective rolled out of bed, fixed her pony tail, used the restroom, and moved to his kitchen.

She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and quickly pulled a plate and some silverware from his cabinets and drawers, rinsed the dishes, and set them gently on the other side of the sink in order to make it look like they were drying. She moved the butter and jelly to a different shelf in the refrigerator, and went to sit on the couch. She hugged her knees to her chest and slowly allowed herself to drift into her own thoughts. She wished she could be happy and safe again; the days when she could live without a care in the world were long gone.

At the sound of another person padding through the halls, Olivia's head shot up and she looked to see Elliot standing by the entrance to his living room. Realizing she was just overreacting to the sound, the brown-eyed woman slowly returned to her previous position – chin resting on her knees – and chose not to acknowledge the other person anymore. Elliot went about his morning routine, brewing coffee, making his own breakfast – eggs, toast, and a glass of milk – and slowly left the kitchen area to ask Olivia if she was hungry. He noticed the plate and knife in the sink, but didn't know that he trusted her to eat anything on her own.

"Have you had breakfast?"

The female detective slowly nodded, "Toast, my dishes are in the sink – I washed them."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know," Olivia muttered. "Maybe it's because you're an overprotective ass hole sometimes?"

Taking in a deep breath at her hurtful comment, Elliot stepped away and continued to prepare himself for the day. Olivia, while feeling guilty at her harsh attitude, didn't regret what she'd said. While she appreciated everything Elliot had done and was continuing to do for her, there was only so much she could handle before it seemed like he just pitied her, nothing more. The last thing Olivia Benson wanted or needed was pity.

"Look," she whispered, "Thank you for everything. It means a ton to me, but I don't want to impose."

"Liv," he whispered, walking slowly into the living room. "You are not, and could not ever impose on me. I'm worried about you, and I want you to be safe."

Benson hung her head in shame, "That's the thing…I shouldn't need you to feel and be safe."

Elliot shook his head slightly and waited to see what would happen next. He knew that Olivia had to be independent and strong in order to feel like herself, yet he wanted nothing more to pull her into his arms and take all of the pain and fear away. He knew that, logically, his partner would never be safe or feel safe until her rapist was found and behind bars. Still, Benson tried to put on a brave face and convince herself, as well as the rest of the world, that she was fine. He finished preparing his breakfast and eaten most of it before either person made another attempt at communication.

Eventually, the woman sitting on the couch spoke once more, "I don't want to be the victim, El. I want to be the one supporting the victim again."

"And you will be," he whispered. "It takes time. On Monday, you'll come back to work, but there will still be set backs. Some days will be harder than others, but we'll get through them – together – because that's what we do."

"What if I can't?"

Elliot cocked his head to the side as he placed his dirty dishes in the sink. He moved to the living room and sat on the other end of the couch. He gently brushed a piece of hair from her face; she didn't flinch away. He sighed before answering her slowly, "Can't what?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, convincing Elliot that the woman he loved wasn't completely broken – she was still able to get annoyed at his prompting. _Good sign, _he noted silently. Then, he focused in on her voice, "Can't get through the hard days?"

"Then you have an entire squad of people who will catch you if you fall," Stabler responded without a second thought. Olivia glanced up. For the time being, it was obvious that she would be all right. Elliot knew he had a few minutes before she started to get upset again, and decided to use it to his advantage. "Look, I understand if you want to go back to staying with Casey," he started. "But I wouldn't have a problem with you staying here, either. I want you to go where ever you feel safest, and if that's with me, then so be it."

Olivia's eyes were deep with thought as she looked at her partner's face. Allowing herself a moment to weigh her options, she soon pulled out of the position she'd maintained since shortly after waking, moved across the cushions next to Elliot, laid her head in his lap, and closed her eyes. Stabler smoothed her hair gently and allowed her to remain with him.

"I guess this means you're staying with me?"

A small nod of the head was the only response he received. Saturday and Sunday were spent talking about anything other than Olivia's rape. She was still closing him out of some parts of her life, but he knew he just had to wait. Her mood swings were almost unbearable, but he survived and was there to catch her if she fell. On Saturday night night, she slept next to Elliot, in the morning, when he woke, she was already out of bed, dirty dishes in the sink, and sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up to her chest and a glazed look over her puffy red eyes.

They survived Sunday, and again Olivia curled up next to Elliot to fall asleep. However, his hopes for a good night's rest were dashed away as she woke every few hours to nightmares. Crying herself to back to sleep in his arms, the detective couldn't bring himself to rest knowing that she was uncomfortable. Eventually, though, he fell asleep. When he awoke, she was in the same position she had been the other two mornings, only this time, no dirty dishes were in the sink. Elliot, however, thought that it wouldn't be wise to bring it up. She looked beat.

That morning, Olivia and Elliot walked into the bull pen together. Munch smiled at Benson, who gave a small smile in response. Trying to let herself fall back into old routine, she took her coat off, placed it on the coat rack, and sat down behind her desk. One by one, thoughts of the last time she'd actually sat in her own chair trickled into her mind. Memories of sharing with Elliot the humiliation of her rape overcame her and she stood up and walked away from the area. Her partner watched with curiosity, but didn't jump to her rescue. John kept an eye out, and Fin appeared to be ready to stand up and help her.

Don walked out of his office and found Olivia standing a few feet from her desk, arms crossed over her chest, and face blank and pale. He glanced at Elliot who gave a nod as if to signal that everything was fine. Amusing himself at how well his squad could communicate without a word, Cragen dropped a file on John's desk.

"Fill me in," the captain stated.

That was the start of Olivia's first day back. John began speaking about the 26 year old woman who was raped and murdered in her own apartment, Fin threw in details whenever he had a chance, and Elliot listened with intrigue, trying to solve the case that he obviously knew very little about. Olivia found herself wondering if he had given up two days to spend with her at his place, and she felt guilty about taking priority over the job. However, she managed to remind herself that every once in a while it was all right to ask for help. That was one thing she had managed to learn in the last month, and it was something she definitely took to heart.

Cragen nodded as Fin and Munch finished up their summary of the case, and Olivia sighed as she realized she hadn't heard more than a few words. Elliot shook his head and gave her a look that seemingly said, _I'll fill you in later. _ Olivia offered a kind smile.

"Benson, Stabler, my office," Cragen beckoned.

The female detective glanced at her partner, who gave an unknowing shrug. The two walked together into the small room they had occupied only a few days prior when Olivia let her guard down in front of Elliot. Feeling slightly self conscious at the memory, she forced herself to focus on her captain's face and listen to whatever he had to say – be it good or bad.

"Olivia," Cragen started, "how have you been?"

"Don't we cover this whenever you see me? I'm fine, Cap, thank you."

Cragen shook his head, "That's not what I mean. How have you been sleeping? Are you ready to be back? I need you to talk to me."

She glanced at Elliot, who refused to say a word. She sighed softly, "I've slept better the last few nights, but nightmares aren't a new thing, I had them prior to this incident."

Elliot looked away when she referred to the rape as an incident. He wanted her to face the facts that she'd lost something, not keep pretending she was fine and attempting to deal with it all on her own. Cragen, however, took her words as comfort and continued, "Do you feel ready to hit the streets?"

Thinking for a moment, Benson remained quiet. She weighed the options. Going back on the streets wasn't necessarily safe, as her attacker was still out there. Even though Huang assumed that the man would only hit once, she still wondered about seeing him every time she set foot outside. On the other hand, Olivia was incredibly sick of being treated like a juvenile. All she wanted was to have the life she once loved back. Making her decision, she spoke once more, "I'm ready."

"Elliot," Cragen turned his attention to the other person in the room, "No matter what, Olivia will have you with her at all times. I need you to promise me that as stubborn as she may be, you won't leave her alone – to question someone, to walk into a gas station, anything. Benson's head isn't on straight yet, and her first few days back could be hard."

Glancing at his partner, he noticed the hurt look on her face. She wanted independence and no one had given her a chance to have any since the day she was raped. No matter what, someone was watching her back. Eventually, he saw her brown eyes accept the fate and she gave a slight nod. Elliot, knowing that it would work out, nodded in return, "Yes, sir."

Don nodded, knowing that he hurt both of them by taking these steps. Yet, he knew that Benson was still recovering from a traumatic and life changing event. He knew from speaking with Casey and Elliot that she wouldn't sleep without someone next to her and often still woke up from nightmares. He understood that she was having mood swings and Elliot often took the brunt of her anger until she was too tired to yell anymore and broke down into tears. Even if Olivia thought she was strong enough to be back on the job and fighting everyone else's demons, Don was positive she wasn't.

"Benson, you still have weekly meetings with Huang, and, if you need them, he will make himself available more often," the bald man demanded. "If you don't follow through on this, you're suspended. Understand?"

"I'll be there, every Friday," Olivia responded, voice dripping with agitation.

"It's for your own good," Elliot reminded her without thinking.

"I don't _care _if it's for my own good," Olivia replied angrily. "Sometimes I hate being babied. Deal with it Stabler."

Elliot just nodded and let her storm out of the office. He saw her stand next to her desk, but she refused to sit in the chair. Gently sighing, he heard his captain saying something else, "She can't handle this yet."

"We have to let her try," Elliot stated firmly.

"Just to have her fall?"

"Captain, she's got to hit her knees before she'll realize that she's not ready."

Don shook his head, knowing that his detective was right, even if he didn't like it much. The older man approached the next subject with some caution, "How much has she been eating?"

"She'll eat if I make her," the detective answered, "but not nearly enough."

Cragen nodded slowly and watched as Elliot turned to leave the office. Before the younger man opened the door, though, Don stopped him, "Elliot, wait."

"What is it, Sir?"

"What I'm going to tell you needs to stay between you and me, alright?"

"Sir," the brown haired man prompted with a slight nod, signaling his agreement.

Cragen took in a deep breath before speaking.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I'll tell you what Cragen tells Elliot later. I want to get this posted, so hopefully I can update by this weekend! Okay?! Okay! I know this chapter sucks…but my brain is fried from finals. Nothing happened and it's short. But that's okay. And there are probably some continuity errors. I'm aware of that and need to go back to fix it.

Please, please, please review! Because that always makes me happy.


	9. And Let Me Fall

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: I love Cliffhangers! I'm glad all of you did to. Thank you so much for the reviews. It always makes me smile to open my email and have reviews to read. It reminds me why I write these stories…and this one, well, it's personal. So it helps to know that people are taking it seriously and all of that jazz. Anyways…

_Without further ado…_

**Chapter 9: (And Let Me Fall)**

* * *

"A woman was raped in Brooklyn last night, same MO as Olivia's. They ran the perp's DNA; it matches your partner's rape kit."

Elliot took a moment to soak in the information. He glanced at his Captain, whose face was solemn looked etched in stone. Elliot sighed softly, "Tell me they've got him?"

"The victim remembers his name, said they went back to a hotel. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone, but she spoke up anyway," the older man stated in a matter-of-fact manner. He continued softly, "They need you and Olivia down there. They want her to ID him in a line-up – just to strengthen the case – and you are assisting in the interrogation."

"I'll kill the little bastard," Stabler mumbled as he began pacing the confines of the small office.

Cragen spoke quickly and clearly, "You will _not _do anything to harm him. Is that clear?"

"Captain," the brown haired man responded, "he raped my partner. He took everything from Liv, and you expect me to walk in the room and keep it calm?"

"I do," his superior replied. "If you don't, you're out of there. Captain Ryerson has strict instructions from me to pull you at the first sign of trouble. Do _not_, I repeat do _not _get yourself in trouble. Olivia needs you right now."

Nodding in understanding, Elliot stopped his movement and crossed his arms over his chest. He took a deep breath, gave himself a minute to process what was happening, and spoke, "When do we need to leave?"

"Captain Ryerson is going to call me as soon as he has the suspect in custody and has the line up prepared. Don't tell her until you're ready to leave, don't tell anyone else in this squad until he's arrested, and do _not _inform Novak. She has work to do and a life to live. I don't need this entire squad up in arms about what's going to be happening. You'll tell Olivia while you're on your way to Brooklyn," Cragen stated firmly. "Don't ask why, just do," the bald man cut off any questions.

Elliot nodded his courtesies and turned to leave the room. He was stopped by the sound of his captain's voice, "And Elliot."

"Sir," Stabler turned around.

"She'll get through today, and then she can heal. But it's going to be hell, you understand that?"

"Yes Sir."

Before leaving the office, however, Elliot turned back around. Cragen waited with curious eyes to see what his detective wanted. Slowly, Stabler spoke, "What's his name?"

"Kevin Macedo."

"Thanks," the younger man whispered as he opened the door. The first thing he saw was Olivia, leaning against the banister to the stairs. She watched Elliot walk toward her and instinctively took a step away from him. He stopped in his tracks, not wanting to push her away. The last thing he needed was to make her more upset than she already was. "Sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be," she muttered in response. "Not your fault."

"I didn't mean to piss you off though."

Benson shrugged, her brown eyes cast to the floor, "You didn't."

"I have paperwork to do. Why don't you sit down for a while? Captain said our assistance isn't needed yet," Elliot prodded. He wanted her to rest; she would be in for a long afternoon.

"I think I need some coffee," said Olivia as she strode past him. Elliot watched her walk off, side-stepping every man she crossed. He shook his head as he sat down, knowing that his partner was not ready to be back.

As he started typing up a form, he scanned the file sitting before him. However, Elliot couldn't get his mind off of what was to come. He wasn't ready to face the man who broke his partner into a million tiny pieces, he couldn't do it. Half of him wanted to be there for Olivia and go with her, the other half longed to walk back into his Captain's office and insist that he send someone else. Yet, Elliot was positive that leaving Olivia at this point would do more harm than good, and he made a silent vow to himself to do what was best for her. As the brown eyed detective made her way back across the squad room, Elliot tried to focus on the task at hand, but soon gave up.

He glanced at a clock, it was only 10:20 in the morning – too early for lunch, too late for breakfast, and he and Olivia weren't speaking. Munch and Fin had gone out to catch a lead for their most recent case, Cragen had yet to leave his office, and Benson had refused to take a seat since her first attempt that morning. Elliot, getting sick of watching her pace and stand, finally took action, "Why don't you get comfortable, we could be here a while?"

"I'm good, thanks," his partner replied monotonously.

"Seriously, Liv," he pushed. "Why won't you sit down?"

"I just can't, okay?"

"Fine," Elliot resigned. It was getting on his last nerve – her inability to reason and explain herself. He felt bad for her, he knew that what happened had ruined any stability his partner had managed to attain in her crazy life, but she didn't need to take it out on anyone else. Stabler was sick of being patient.

Olivia rolled her eyes and began pacing. Elliot shook his head and focused on his paperwork until she sat down behind John's desk. Turning in his chair, he stared at her for a few moments before speaking, "You know, your desk _is _just as you left it. No one attached it to a bomb or anything."

"Shut up," she hissed.

"What the hell has gotten into you today?"

Offering an exasperated sigh, Olivia stood up again. Walking behind Elliot, she smacked him across the head and walked out of the bull pin. Stabler closed his eyes for a moment to adjust to the slight headache that was forming before standing up to find his partner. His journey wasn't long, as he saw Olivia sitting on a bench right outside of the squad room with her head in her hands. Elliot sat next to her, trying to remind himself that she was still a victim and had yet to deal with the fact that she had lost total control the night she was raped.

Slowly, he felt someone lean against his shoulder. Elliot rested his head on hers and the two sat together for a few moments, just feeling safe knowing that the other was still there. They rested in a companionable silence which Olivia broke first, "I'm sorry for hitting you, again."

"Don't be," Elliot responded. "I shouldn't have treated you like a child."

"I was stupid to not sit at my own desk, though."

"Why," he prompted, "were you so adamant about not sitting there?"

"The memories," Olivia whispered. "I spent so much time sitting behind that desk the night it happened, and even in the days after, that I sat down and all I could think about was everything that had gone wrong."

Elliot wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling Benson closer to his chest. She sighed into it as she let the apprehension release from her body. Sighing gently, Stabler brought himself to try and comfort her., "We'll deal with that too, okay?"

"This isn't getting any better, not until I know he's gone – until I know he can't hurt anyone else."

Knowing that he shouldn't tell her anything yet, Elliot simply spoke in vague terms, "We'll have him soon, I promise."

"You can't keep that promise," Olivia whimpered.

Elliot shook his head. "I made you a promise," he replied softly, "one that I don't intend on breaking. We'll have him soon."

Relishing in the feeling of safety she found in Elliot's arms, Olivia allowed herself to lean into his strong body, not caring who might walk by to see them together. Stabler, enjoying the knowledge that she was safe and with him, allowed her to get closer and held tighter as she got comfortable. Rarely did the two show physical affection in front of others – a brush of the arm, bumping into one another was normal. Holding onto one another as if there were to be no tomorrow, however, was a new experience. It was an experience that only took place in the last month, and not that often. Still, it felt right to both involved parties and neither one had any intention of moving until told to do so.

Nearly forty-five minutes later, Cragen emerged from his office. When neither Benson nor Stabler was visible in the bull pen, he walked out of the room to find them together, just sitting. He smiled softly as he realized what a team they were; Don knew that perhaps the two were too close for their own good. Yet, he shook the feelings away as Elliot looked away from the woman resting comfortably in his arms. When the captain nodded slowly, Stabler gently woke his partner from her slumber and helped her to sit up. Cragen moved back into the bull pen, hoping that the trip to Brooklyn was worth it and that it wouldn't send Olivia flying two or three steps back on the path to recovery.

As the two started walking toward the elevators to leave the precinct, Don returned to his office, leaving Elliot to fend for a woman who was the closest thing he'd ever had to a daughter.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia sat in the car and Stabler quickly pulled his car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. He silently searched for the words to explain to Olivia that she had to identify her rapist. He didn't want her to see him again, to hurt all over, but there wasn't much of an option. Taking a deep breath, he broke the silence as he drove the path to Brooklyn, "We're not chasing a lead." 

"What do you mean," his partner questioned with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"You and I, we're headed to Brooklyn because a woman reported a date rape with the same MO as yours," he whispered.

"Oh," Olivia sighed.

"He left DNA on her, too," Elliot continued. "It matches your kit."

"Let me guess, she remembered his name," the female detective spat.

Elliot wasn't certain if she was angry or just nervous. He didn't want her to be upset, but it was already obvious that Olivia blamed herself for this other woman's misfortune. Stabler spoke with a gentle tone, "Yes. They want you to ID him in a line up, just to strengthen the case, and then I'm helping with the interrogation."

"Damn," Olivia whispered. Elliot took one hand off of the steering wheel and placed it on her knee. Benson fought away tears, trying her hardest not to let her strong exterior break. Elliot offered silent support as they took the rest of the journey in silence. Once her partner had parked the car and killed the engine, Olivia spoke again, "What's his name?"

"Kevin Macedo," Elliot stated monotonously.

Nodding and biting her lower lip, Benson pulled her knee from Elliot's hand and stepped out of the car. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked around. Elliot followed her into the precinct and he asked for directions when she refused to speak. As they walked into the bull pen, a young man in a brown suit quickly approached them, outstretching a hand for greeting.

"Detective Christopher Weiner," he stated with a warm smile as Elliot returned the greeting with a handshake. When Benson made no attempt to shake the young detective's approach, he continued on with a hand signal to another man, obviously several years older, "and that would be my partner, Detective Ryan Gerdes."

Olivia offered a nod to the older man, his black suit and graying hair reminded her a bit of Munch and she immediately felt more comfortable around him. Elliot gently placed a comforting hand near the small of his partner's back and offered a similar nod to the other detective. Quickly, he introduced himself, "I'm Elliot Stabler, Manhattan SVU, and this is Detective Benson."

Benson's brown eyes were examining the floor as the younger detective showed them to the room for the line up. Cowering closer to Elliot, Olivia tried desperately to avoid the hubbub of an unfamiliar precinct. Detective Weiner opened the door and escorted Olivia in. She grabbed Elliot's hand, but her partner refused to budge from his perch outside of the door, "I might influence your decision, Liv. I'll be right here when you're done."

Fear clouded her eyes, and quickly Elliot moved closer to her. He placed a hand on Weiner's arm, holding him back for a moment. He glanced at the younger man, "Give us a second, please?"

Nodding, the detective stepped away from the two. Olivia quickly reached for her partner. Elliot pulled her into a tight hug until he felt her physically calm down. As soon as she seemed able to support herself, Elliot pulled away slowly. She looked up at him, silently begging him to go in with her. Shaking his head slowly, he turned her toward the door. Before letting her go, though, he whispered into her ear, "I'll be here and you're strong enough for this. I promise you that much."

"Damn the rules, El," Benson pleaded in her own ways.

"I can't do that," he answered softly, "but you'll be fine. He cannot see you. Just remember that, all right?"

"Fine," she whispered and set foot into the room.

Weiner shut the door behind her and called for the men to enter the room. Six men filed into the room behind the one way glass window. She looked at all of them, but her eyes lingered with number five. He was the perfect height, perfect build, and she'd remember those lips anywhere. Shaking slightly, she continued looking at each of them. A man she didn't recognized asked her the dreaded question, "Do you recognize anyone, Ms. Benson?"

"Can…can you have them say something," she questioned, simply wanting to make sure she had found the right man.

"Whatever you'd like," the same man answered in a caring voice.

"I need to hear them say 'you deserve this,' please."

The man gave the instruction. As each man down the line made the statement, Olivia listened to number fives. Her legs nearly gave out from beneath her as she stared at the eyes. Again, the man asked the question, "Do you recognize anyone?"

"Number five," she whispered; her voice was barely audible.

"And where do recognize him from?"

"I met him at Element," she whispered, still trying to maintain her composure. "He's the man who raped me."

As a tear escaped down her cheek, Detective Weiner led her from the room, muttering about how she did a great job. Once she stepped outside of the room, she searched for her partner's blue eyes and his caring face. At first, Olivia couldn't find him, but within seconds, she saw him a few steps away from the door. Seeing her, Elliot walked over in time to catch her as she sunk to the ground. Not realizing how much damage seeing _him _again would do to Olivia, Stabler clearly hadn't been prepared to handle the waterfall of tears that would soon surface.

Holding her close and supporting her was all he could offer until another man came over to them. He recognized him as Weiner's partner, Gerdes. The man offered a kind smile before speaking, "Captain says you two can use his office if it's needed."

"Thanks," Elliot answered, rubbing the brown haired detective's back as her heart wrenching sobs continued. Slowly but surely Elliot assisted Olivia in walking over to the captain's office. He offered a nod of gratitude as the door was shut behind them and they were alone. He sat in a chair and eased Olivia into his lap. It hadn't been more than a few days since they had been in the exact same position in their own captain's office, and Stabler was desperate to make certain she was all right before doing anything else.

Eventually, Benson's tears subsided and she was gently resting her head against Elliot's shoulder. Stabler gently wiped the final tears from under her puffy, red eyes and kissed her forehead in a big-brother fashion. Olivia sighed into his neck.

"I told you we'd get him," Elliot whispered.

"I didn't think you meant today."

"I wasn't allowed to tell you until we left the precinct. Cragen didn't want Munch or Fin to hear and get worked up," he explained.

Olivia nodded into his neck, refusing to let go of his dress shirt for dear life. Elliot pulled her closer as they continued talking. Olivia was calming down when she opened her mouth to confide in her partner, "That other woman wouldn't have been raped if I could have remembered his last name."

"This isn't your fault," Elliot retorted.

"It is," Benson responded defiantly. "I have to live with that. Just, when you interrogate him, would you hit him once, for me?"

Kissing her forehead once more, Elliot nodded, "I will, right before I leave the room, all right?"

Olivia slowly rose from her spot on his lap and tried to straighten out her clothes. Elliot stood with her and squeezed her shoulder as a final source of comfort. The two were ready to leave the office as Weiner stuck his head through the door, "Detective Stabler, we're ready for you as soon as you can come."

Stealing a glance at Olivia, she nodded confidently, "Go, I'll wait around here, somewhere."

Feeling certain that his partner could handle herself from that point on, Elliot walked out of the room, "Let's go nail this bastard."

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A/N: I hate it. Absolutely positively HATE it. But that's okay, because I got it done. This, however, is my shameless plug: Go read _This Uncivil War. _It's a one shot that I posted the night before I posted this. Check it out and review it. If you do, I'll write chapter 10 a lot faster!!!! So go review…then read my other fic. Thanks. 


	10. Love Heals

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way shape or form, own the characters from _Law & Order: SVU. _They are created by Dick Wolf and I will forever love him for it. I am using these characters and the basis of this television show purely for entertainment and am not making any form of profit off of the writing of this piece. (AKA: It's not mine. Don't sue. Thanks.)

**Not a Day Goes By**

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews!!! They always make me smile and then I want to write because I don't want anyone to hate me for not writing. Hehe. I think this is over. Honestly. I think this is the last chapter because I don't know where else to go. Maybe I'll write a sequel later…I don't know.

_Without further ado…_

**Chapter 10: Love Heals**

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"You little prick," Elliot shouted as he stepped into the interrogation room. He angrily threw the folder that he'd been thumbing through as he was entering onto the table in front of him and slammed the door shut. He glanced at Macedo vehemently, wanting nothing more than to bash his head against a wall. Stabler, however, maintained his composure as the dark haired man before him rolled his eyes. Furious, Elliot yelled again, "You think this is funny? You're in a _lot _of trouble right now." 

"Couldn't be," the man responded calmly. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Raping two women isn't wrong? Explain that to me Kevin."

Coolly, the man satisfied Elliot's request, "It was consensual. The two women came back to my home, we watched a movie, and we had consensual sex. Both of them like it rough, detective, and that would _not _be my fault."

"They like it rough," Stabler repeated as he walked around the table to get in Macedo's face. "That's funny, because rough doesn't generally result in sprained limbs and bruised ribs in my book."

"Maybe," Kevin taunted, "you just aren't as good at the game as I am."

Elliot grabbed the offender by his collar and shoved him against the wall, "You are a worthless piece of shit, and if I had a choice, I'd kill you right here and now. But that's not justice, is it? Because I can make sure it's announced that you're a rapist the moment you get locked up and the hell you'll go through then will be much worse than anything _I _am capable of inflicting on you."

"I won't get locked up," Macedo challenged.

Elliot laughed as he let go of his partner's rapist and watched him fall to the ground, "There's a whole hell of a lot of evidence against you right now."

"Yes, but Olivia knows better than to testify against me. You see, she knows what I'm capable of. She wouldn't put herself at risk," he whispered. "Neither would Lisa, that other pretty girl that I had fun with last night. I didn't do anything wrong."

Getting slightly annoyed by the man's denial of his crimes, Elliot took a seat across from him, "Look, maybe the DA will make a deal if you confess now. It's up to you."

"I won't confess to anything that I didn't do."

"Why," Elliot prompted, "did you rape those two ladies?" The detective pulled out two photos of the faces of Macedo's victims. He placed them in front of him, letting the rapist examine his handy work, allowing him to realize the pain he'd caused. Slowly Stabler spoke again, voice dripping with agitation, "Why'd you hurt them like that?"

Macedo pushed away the picture of his second victim, "That one, yeah, I raped her. She cried for me to stop, but didn't push away or anything. She was just for fun." He then looked at Olivia's face, running his fingers over the glossy surface. Elliot stared at the man as a look of longing and desire crossed his face. He spoke slowly and distinctly, "And this one, Olivia-" Kevin's voice was soaked in subtle sultriness, "was too beautiful to pass up. It was entertaining when she fought back, as she cried and screamed for me to discontinue the _pleasurable _experience. She did, however, follow my rules agreeably. Shutting up when I told her to, always trying to please. I think she enjoyed it almost as much as I did. I must say, Benson was one good lover, I'd do her again any day."

Hearing Macedo speak about his partner in such a way sent Elliot into a rampage. He moved around the table quickly, picked the man up by his collar once more, shoved him into the wall, and began hitting until he felt someone drag him away. While being removed from the room, Elliot stopped them long enough to get a look at the face of Olivia's rapist once more. He spoke with a resentment that could never be rivaled, "You messed with the wrong woman, Macedo. She is beautiful; she's strong, independent, and perfect. Olivia's my partner, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll rot in a cell for so long that you can't hurt another woman like you did her. You broke someone's soul, how you can still live with yourself is a mystery to me."

Breathing heavily, Elliot turned and removed himself from the room. As he stepped outside, the men watching thanked him for getting the confession and assured him that no one saw a single thing that could amount to police brutality. Silently, Stabler offered his thanks. Weiner announced that he would take Macedo to central booking to be arraigned in the morning. ADA Proctor introduced himself to the detective and announced that he would be prosecuting on behalf of both cases as Novak was simply too close to the case. Elliot nodded, but the entire time his eyes were searching for Benson. As soon as he found her, he excused himself from his peers presence and walked over to her.

Hunched over in a chair, the female detective didn't immediately notice her partner's presence. Elliot kneeled next to her for a moment and placed his hands on top of hers. She jumped slightly, but relaxed the instant she saw him there. He looked into her eyes, noting the increased puffiness and he immediately assumed she had been crying more after he had left her. Elliot pulled her into a standing position and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders as they walked to the other detectives. She watched as Macedo was drug from the interrogation room and out of the doors, he smiled at her and winked.

"Bastard," she whispered as he left. Elliot squeezed her shoulder gently, reassuring her of his presence. Benson pushed her fragile body against him as they continued walking, nearly tripping over each other's feet, but neither one caring enough to rectify the situation. As they approached the other detectives and their captain as well as ADA Proctor, Olivia smiled weakly to offer her gratitude.

Proctor stepped over to her, his blonde hair and blue eyes assuring her that he was nothing like the man who attacked her. His stature was small and he couldn't have been more than five-foot-six-inches tall. Olivia gently shook his hand as he began speaking, "I'm ADA Joshua Proctor, I will be prosecuting on behalf of both rape charges. I'll keep you updated as the trial date approaches, but the New York court system is backed up at the moment, it could be a few months."

"Yeah," she responded mildly, "I know how that works."

"Your testimony will be greatly appreciated, Ms. Benson," Proctor urged.

"I'll be there," she answered him, her eyes staring at the floor.

Elliot quickly thanked each member of the team who had brought Macedo in and excused themselves, quickly sensing Olivia's discomfort. He led her from the Brooklyn precinct, out to the car, and helped her to get settled before getting in on the driver's side. He started the car and drove out of Brooklyn and back to Manhattan. The entire ride was taken in silence, excluding a few sniffles from Olivia from time to time. Elliot thought it would be better to let her breathe and comprehend the situation that had just occurred rather than jump in to rescue her.

As they parked outside of the 1-6th precinct, he glanced over at her. Olivia's head was down and she was playing silently with the hem of her shirt. Elliot opened his door and excavated his own body from the vehicle. After walking a few steps away from the car, he noticed that his partner wasn't following. Turning around, Stabler made his way back to the car, pulled open the passenger's side door and waited for Benson to move. When she refused to acknowledge his presence, Elliot squatted next to her. Finally, she glanced at him and immediately turned away, eyes still red, head still down, trying her hardest not to draw attention to herself.

"Liv," he whispered. Elliot was trying to make her look at him so he could persuade her to go into the precinct with him to let their captain know the situation. She didn't look up. His voice a little stronger, he tried again, "Liv, can you look at me?"

She shook her head and Elliot sighed gently. He watched her body shrink away as she thought she had upset him. Slowly, he spoke once more, voice at full volume, "Olivia, you need to talk to me so I can help."

"You can't," she muttered.

"Can't what?"

Olivia looked into his eyes, longing to get lost in the blue sea that held such concern for her. Taking in a deep breath, she answered, "You can't make the fact that I broke down in front of a bunch of cops disappear. You can't change what happened. You _can't _help this. You can't help me."

Elliot's heart broke as he realized what his partner was going through. Olivia was embarrassed, frightened, and insecure. He needed to help her, to make it all go away, but that was impossible. Rape doesn't disappear. Pulling her out of the car, he helped her to stand on her own feet and looked into her eyes, making certain she heard every word he had to offer, "I know it feels like it won't get better. I get that, I see it every day in so many people's eyes. Yet, you and I both know that despite the fact that somebody changes and their life is in no way as it once was, it _always _gets better. This will get better. You have an entire squad of people who love you more than you'll ever know. You have to let us in, you have to let us help you help yourself. But this will improve and you _will _be okay."

A slight nod of the head was the only evidence that she had taken in any of his words. She looked up at him and for the first time he saw a glimmer of hope in her brown eyes. He saw the Olivia Benson he had worked with for so many years, the woman who was independent and confident. Even if she was different, he knew in that moment that she would be okay. He was falling in love all over again, and nothing would ever tear her from her. Before he could register what was happening, her lips trapped his in a tender kiss. It was short and sweet, just a hint of what the future could hold.

He smiled at her, she let out a slight grin in return. She put her hand into his larger one and looked at his blue eyes before whispering, "I love you, too."

After placing her hand in his, he squeezed it softly, following her lead as she took the first step toward the doors of the precinct. Elliot walked with her and the two passed security with no problem. They reached the bull pen and strolled directly into Cragen's office. He looked from Elliot's face to Olivia's and his eyes lingered on her puffy eyes. He too saw the distinct change, though. He knew that she was starting to combat her fears and insecurities to make it better. The bald man chose to ignore the linked fingers of his detectives' hands, knowing that they each needed one another more than ever before. He looked back to Elliot, hoping for someone to fill him in.

"Liv did really well," he spoke in confident tones.

"Captain Ryerson called," Cragen responded, while smiling at Benson to show that he had heard.

"I may have gotten physical," Stabler countered.

Cragen laughed, "Bashing his face in is getting physical?" The superior officer thought for a moment before speaking again, "Good work. It sounds like we have a solid case. This is going to be behind us in no time."

Benson rolled her brown eyes, "With all due respect, Capt, this isn't ever going to be _completely _behind us."

"You may be right," he answered, "but I know you're getting better already. Captain Ryerson also said that he was impressed at how well you handled yourself, Detective. That is a huge compliment."

"I cried like a baby," she whispered.

"You looked your rapist in the face and identified him. You're expected to be scared. You're allowed a few tears, Olivia."

"Thank you, sir," was all she could croak out as Elliot squeezed her hand to offer comfort. The three stood in silence for a few minutes before someone slammed through the door. Olivia jumped about a mile in the air as she turned to see Casey. Breaking the contact with Elliot for the first time since their unmentioned kiss, Benson quickly ran to the ADA who wrapped the female detective in the warmest embrace possible.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," Novak whispered into her friend's ear.

"I had Elliot," she answered, hoping to comfort her friend. "And you're here now."

"Proctor called. He said it went well," the ADA said as she pulled away from the brown haired woman. Olivia shrugged, not knowing how to answer. Casey smiled, "He's got a solid case. There shouldn't be a problem. He also said you're planning on testifying."

Olivia nodded weakly, "I'm scared, though."

Elliot took in a deep breath as she admitted her fear. Casey placed a hand on the female detective's shoulder and looked her in the eyes, noting the change in demeanor from those of a scared puppy to those of her strong best friend. She smiled, "That's all right. You'll be fine, and I'll be there the whole time. I know you, and you can do this."

The tall, dark haired detective nodded beyond Olivia's shoulder, signaling to Novak that she had said the right thing. Benson thought for a moment before hugging her friend once more. The embrace lasted far longer than the one prior, and neither woman appeared to have any desire to break away from the other. Cragen, sensing a moment between the three of them, silently excused himself from the office.

Not a day would go by where Benson wouldn't be changed from the past that would continue to haunt her, but no matter what, they would all succeed and pull through whatever nightmare was to come. Elliot took a step closer as Casey's eyes opened while she rested her chin on Olivia's shoulder. Looking into Elliot's eyes, Novak managed to silently beckon him into the picture and offered him a spot with the woman he loved. Affectionately, Stabler wrapped his arms around Olivia and Casey's bodies, successfully supporting his partner between them. He kissed the top of Olivia's head as she let out a comforting sigh and took pleasure in the comfort of her two best friends.

It was in that moment that Olivia realized how the love of two people could heal anything. Their affection mended wounds, provided a foundation, and ensured her safety. With them next to her, she could conquer anything – they could conquer the world. Knowing that she was protected, Olivia permitted herself to feel happy again. She had a friend who would never leave her side and a man who would love her until the end of time. It was evident that love heals anything.

No one, not even a rapist, could break that truth.

_-fine-_

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A/N: It's OVER! AHAHAHA! She kissed him, yes. Casey supported her, yes. And I got to tile this chapter _Love Heals_ which is the one song title I've wanted to use since day one. It's over. I did it. I really didn't know that I'd end it this chapter, but I was trying to continue from the embrace…to send her away with Elliot…but it was the three of them in the beginning, it was the three of them throughout, and the ending _had _to be the three of them. It had to be a full circle…because that's just how I work. Seriously. If you want an epilogue or sequel…let me know in a review. I'll do what you guys want because I have ideas for a sequel, but I don't know if I should just leave it be and let you all come to your own conclusions about how well she heals. Sooooooooo….review, and thanks for reading. It meant so much to me. (by the way, 62 pages in word if you put a break between each chapter before the disclaimer. Haha. That's insane.) 


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